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Young Folks' Heroes of History. 



MAGELLAN, 



FIRST VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 



GEORGE M. TOWLE, 

Author of M Vasco da Gama," " Pizarro," etc. 



/o. 



Of \ij.r I I 

BOSTON: V . ' 

LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS. 
NEW YORK : 
C. T. DILLINGHAM. 

1880. \ 



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\* 



Copyright, 1879, 

By LEE & SHEPARD. 

All Rights Reserved, 



X 



PREFACE 



<jOO- 




AGELLAN performed a voyage far more dif- 
ficult, perilous, and uncertain than that of 
Vasco da Gama ; and as an explorer of the 
ocean, he was not less persistent and dauntless. As 
Vasco found the water-way to Asia around the Cape 
of Good Hope, so Magellan, a little more than twenty 
years after, discovered the route to the same myste- 
rious continent, by sailing westward instead of east- 
ward, and by passing through the stormy straits, at the 
extreme southern point of the South American Conti- 
nent, which still perpetuate his name and renown. 

He crossed not only the Atlantic, but the Pacific 
also, and bestowed its gentle name upon the latter 
ocean ; and one of his ships was the first to sail com- 
pletely around the globe, though Magellan did not him- 
self live to assist in achieving this great triumph of 
navigation.. 

iii 



IV PREFACE. 

Besides encountering the many perils of the sea, the 
harrowing hardships of famine, the terrible scourges 
of disease, and threatened destruction by conspiracy 
and revolt, it was Magellan's fate to engage in fierce 
conflicts with savage tribes, and to meet with treachery 
at their hands, as well as to receive from them honest 
welcome and bounteous hospitality. No voyage, in- 
deed, could be imagined, into which every feature of 
romance and adventure, of narrow escape and brilliant 
achievement, could be more crowded, than was that 
of Magellan from the port of Cadiz to the island clus- 
ters of Australasia. 

Magellan's own character is well fitted to call forth 
the young reader's admiration. It was his ambition, 
not to enter upon a career of blood-shed and conquest, 
nor, mainly, to acquire wealth, honors, or power for 
himself ; but to achieve for the civilized world the vast 
benefits which he knew would follow the discovery of 
a route around the American Continent, and to confer 
upon heathen barbarians the blessings of what he de- 
voutly believed to be the true faith. 

He was generous and noble in disposition ; never 
wantonly cruel ; indulgent to and beloved by those 
whom he commanded ; brave as a lion, and indomit- 
able in perseverance and tenacity of purpose ; undis- 
mayed by any obstacle, however formidable ; and reso- 



PREFACE. V 

lute in subduing men and circumstances to the end he 
had in view ; easily angered, but brief in his anger ; 
humane, considerate, and large-hearted. 

The story of his famous expedition comprises one. 
of the most important as well as thrilling portions of 
tha- world's history ; and can scarcely fail to interest 
as well as inform those who peruse it. 



CONTENTS 



<02- 



CHAPTER I. page 

Magellan goes to Court. . i 

CHAPTER II. 
Magellan at the Wars 16 

CHAPTER III. 
Magellan in Spain 32 

CHAPTER IV. 
Preparations for the Voyage 47 

CHAPTER V. 
Magellan Crosses the Atlantic 43 

CHAPTER VI. 
The Mutiny. 78 

CHAPTER VII. 
Adventures with the Giants. ...... 92 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Magellan Discovers the Straits 116 

CHAPTER IX. 
Crossing the Pacific 124 

CHAPTER X. 
Magellan among the Malays 143 

vii 



viii CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XI. 
Adventures at Sebu . 159 

CHAPTER XII. 
The Barbarians Converted 172 

CHAPTER XIII. 
A Hero's Death 192 

CHAPTER XIV. 
The King's Treachery 208 

CHAPTER XV. 
Adventures at Borneo 214 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Discovery of the Spice Islands «4u 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Sailing towards Home 255 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
The "Victoria" reaches Spain .••••. 269 



MAGELLAN; 

OR, THE FIRST VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, 



-C0O- 



CHAPTER I. 

MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. 



iy^ii|OT far from a quaint, picturesque old town 
»£^m in northern Portugal, called Villa Real, 
there lived, about the year 1500, a noble- 
man named Magellan. Although an " hidalgo," 
(nobleman) and descended from a proud and an- 
cient family, Magellan was not rich ; but kept up 
such state and show as he could afford, in the 
home of his ancestors, which was a curious-look- 
ing edifice, with a tower, massive walls, and bat- 
tlements, and which became, in troublous times, 
a fortress, as well as a residence. 

Here Magellan was wont to entertain tha 



2 MAGELLAN. 

neighboring hidalgos, to receive such distingished 
captains, nobles, or voyagers as wandered so far 
away from the capital, and to lord it over the 
peasants who tilled the fields and vineyards which 
stretched over the slopes of the not distant 
mountains, and along the fertile banks of the 
pretty stream that flowed between his estate and 
the town. 

The pride of Magellan's heart was his son, 
Fernan ; who, at the period that our story opens, 
was a vigorous young man of twenty. It was 
the custom of those days, as now, for the sons of 
European nobles to be brought up, not to any 
useful or hard-working occupation, but in ease 
and luxury; to be treated by their inferiors, 
even in earliest childhood, with ceremonious re- 
spect ; and to devote themselves freely to vigor- 
ous sports, and such pleasures as their neighbor- 
hood or their opportunities afforded. There were 
but two callings which these young patricians 
usually thought worthy of their adoption. They 
were not too proud to become soldiers ; and they 
were often glad to enter upon a political career, as 
courtiers or statesmen. At the time that Ma- 
gellan lived, indeed, a third calling was espoused 



MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. 3 

by many young men of high birth ; that of fol- 
lowing the sea as voyagers and discoverers. But 
this pursuit was nearly akin to that of a soldier. 
The voyager commanded his ships upon the 
ocean ; but as soon as he had landed on a strange 
shore, he buckled on his armor, donned his hel- 
met, drew his sword, and led his men against the 
inhabitants. 

Although the elder Magellan was not rich, 
young Fernan had been reared amid surround- 
ings of comfort, petted and humored by his fond 
father and equally doting mother, waited upon 
obsequiously by the retainers of the house, 
greeted with humble respect by the peasants 
and village-folk wherever he made his appear- 
ance, and enjoying, to the full, the rough pleas- 
ures which the wild country round afforded. 

The broad valley where he dwelt was almost 
surrounded by lofty and savage mountains, 
clothed with vast, luxuriant forests ; while the 
slopes that descended from it to the meadows 
along the river bank, were covered by thickly 
clustering vineyards, bearing the luscious purple 
grapes from which the famous port wine is made. 

Perhaps the chief pastime of Fernan's boyhood 



MAGELLA.N. 



and youth was the hunt. Among the mountains 
roamed the wild boar; the forests were, many of 
them peopled with deer; while of smaller game 
there was an abundance ; so that the sportsman 
need never despair of returning home with well- 
stocked game-bag, and often found his burden — 
a deer or a boar — too heavy to be carried without 
the aid of servants. It was Fernan's delight to 
follow his hounds, with a merry party of stalwart 
youths like himself, through the echoing moun- 
tain forests, and up the rugged banks of the spark- 
ling river ; to ride frantically in pursuit of the 
wild game, and come to close quarters with the 
fleet stags and tusk-gnashing boars ; and to carry 
home in triumph the trophies of his day's sport. 
Sometimes he encountered even more formida- 
ble foes than these ; for the " Traz os Montes," 
near his home, were then infested by savage 
bands of brigands, who sought no richer prizes 
than the noble youths who ventured, in pursuit 
of game, too near their lairs. Fernan was as 
brave as a lion, and liked nothing better than a 
battle with the murderous robbers who now and 
then attacked him and his comrades. He had 
early learned the use of arms ; and was a good 



MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. 5 

swordsman, and a skilful shot. More than once 
he was brought in wounded from his struggles 
with the bandits ; but he made light of his in- 
juries, and had no sooner recovered than he 
plunged into the mountain wilds as fearlessly as 
before. 

Not very many miles from the valley in which 
he dwelt, was Oporto, next to Lisbon the most 
important city in Portugal. It is from this city 
that " port" wine takes its name. Oporto is situ- 
ated on the Atlantic, at the mouth of a wide 
river. It is a quaint old place, with narrow, zig- 
zag streets, many ancient, lofty houses, adorned 
in the showy fashion of six or seven centuries 
ago, and possessing many noble churches and 
other public buildings. Its harbor is spacious, 
and to this day is picturesque with the ships of 
many nations. 

In Fernan's time, Oporto was even a busier 
place than it now is. It was the resort of the 
nobility of all the country round, and its gaieties 
and dissipations were only less brilliant than 
those of Lisbon itself. The round of social 
pleasures was kept up there with much state and 
ceremony; while its trade, principally in wine, 



D MAGELLAN. 

made the quays, and the region near them, very- 
crowded and busy. 

It was the custom of Fernan's father to spend, 
with his family, a portion of each year at 
Oporto; and there the young man had many a 
taste of the pleasures of city life. As he grew 
older, he became more and more fond of visiting 
the quays, and of taking sails in the harbor. He 
made the acquaintance of captains and sailors, 
and delighted to go on board the caravels and 
study their arrangements and rigging, and talk 
with the men about their adventures on the great 
deep. He would sit for hours in some dark 
cabin, and listen breathlessly to the tales of 
perilous voyages, of disastrous shipwrecks on 
strange coasts, and of desperate fights with 
savages. He heard with beating heart about 
the wonderful discoveries which were then being 
constantly made ; about the exploits of Columbus, 
the heroic discovery of the way to India by his 
own countryman, Vasco da Gama, and the quick 
succeeding expeditions that now sailed between 
the old and the new world. 

Of a bold, fearless, adventurous spirit, Fernan 
was soon seized with an intense passion for the 



MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. 7 

sea. As he stood on the bustling quays of 
Oporto, and looked far out where rolled the 
mighty waves of the Atlantic, he wished that he, 
too, was a captain, and longed to try his fortune 
in strange lands. The pastimes of his country 
home now seemed to him dull and paltry; he 
said to himself that he was wasting his life,and that, 
instead of hunting boars and fighting brigands, 
he might be discovering new lands and winning 
renown like that of Columbus and da Gama. 
Even the exciting pleasures of the city — the 
bull-fights and masquerades, the tournaments and 
routs, began to pall upon him, and he pined to 
go out into the world, and see more of men and 
countries. 

One day, when he had been thinking more 
seriously than usual about his present life, and 
yearning to change it for a more stirring one, he 
sought his father in the hall of the house, where 
the bluff old noble sat, warming his heels before 
a blazing log-fire. 

As he approached, Magellan observed that the 
young man's brows were knit, and that his face 
Wore a serious and thoughtful expression. 

"What troubles you, Fernan?" asked the 



8 MAGELLAN. 

hidalgo. " For some time you have seemed dis- 
traught, as if something had happened to per- 
plex you. Sit here by me, son, and open your 
heart to me." 

Fernan did as he was bidden, and after a mo- 
ment, said : " It is true, my father, that I am not 
content. I no longer enjoy those pastimes and 
pleasures that were once my delight. I thirst 
for adventure, for a stirring life by land and sea. 
You see, sir, I am now a man, I would go forth 
into the world, and try my fortune." 

" And that shall you, if you please !" said the 
old man. "To be sure, Traz os Montes is but a 
dull place for one so brave and ambitious as you ; 
and even Oporto is but a narrow field for your 
aspirations. You shall go to court, my lad, and 
seek the favor of our good King Manuel. It will 
be ill luck if he does not speedily find some ex- 
ploit for you ; I warrant me, a stalwart youth like 
you will find merit in his royal eyes." 

Fernan sprang joyfully to his feet, and seized 
and kissed his father's hand. " You fill me with 
happiness, my father ! " he exclaimed. " Nothing 
do I desire so much as to go to Lisbon, and see 
the splendors of the court, and take service with 



MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. 9» 

the king ! Think you, sir, that he will receive 
me in his household? And may it be, that I 
shall be sent ere long, on some glorious expedi- 
tion of conquest and discovery? I long to ride 
the stormy billows, to match my prowess with 
savage hosts, to win a name and power! When 
may I go — shall it be soon, my lord ? " 

" In what haste are you, Fernan, to leave home 
and kindred I" replied the old man, sorrowfully. 
" But you have an impetuous soul, and mayhap 
nothing will content you but to go forth into the 
world. King Manuel knows me, and knows that 
he hath no more sturdy or loyal subject. I doubt 
not, he will receive you on my petition. Go, then; 
prepare with such haste as you please ; and de- 
part for Lisbon as soon as you are ready." 

It was with light, brisk step that Fernan, after 
thanking his father with trembling voice for his 
goodness, left the hall, and repaired to his own 
room, in an upper story of the house. A glow ' 
of high spirits already suffused his face, but just 
now so long-drawn with discontent ; and as he 
paced up and down the floor, with a multitude 
of feverishly happy thoughts rushing through 
his brain, his eyes kindled, and his fists clenched 



'10 MAGELLAN. 

in his excitement. Now and then he broke out 
into some warlike ballad, or some sailor's song, 
that he had heard in the barracks, or on the car- 
avels at Oporto; and then, becoming calmer, he 
would look around the room, to see what he 
could carry with him to the royal court. 

There were many preparations to make before 
he could set out for Lisbon. In order to ap- 
pear properly at court, a young nobleman must 
have several suits of rich attire. He must have 
tunics and trousers of velvet and silk, trimmed 
with gold and silver lace ; he must have slashed 
caps, with high-nodding plumes; he must have 
a full suit of glistening armor, helmet, cuirass, 
buckler, and all ; he must have an ample supply 
of silk stockings, of velvet shoes and slippers, 
and long top-boots ; he must wear a sword, with 
chased and jewelled hilt and scabbard ; he must 
be supplied with arquebuses and daggers and 
belts ; and, not least, he must be provided with 
at least one high-mettled, thorough-bred steed, 
on which to prance and gallop at the state shows 
and processions. In providing himself with 
these things, Fernan now busied himself absorb- 
ingly during his waking hours. Tailors stitched 



MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. II 

away unceasingly on his fine new clothes ; the 
hidalgo sent to a distance, and purchased a noble, 
milk-white horse, for there were none in his 
stables fit for so momentous a use ; and ere many 
weeks Fernan found himself splendidly equipped 
for his journey to Lisbon. 

One bright morning, there was a lively bustle 
in the courtyard of his father's mansion at Villa 
Real. The hidalgo himself, richly dressed, and 
surrounded by his wife, sons and daughters, stood 
on the broad steps that led from the door to the 
paved court, while the servants were gathered in 
groups below. Presently Fernan's white horse, 
with gay trappings, was brought out ; and then 
Fernan himself appeared, very fine, in a bran-new 
suit, with plumed cap, and a sword hanging at 
his side. With him were to go attendants, who 
soon cantered in the courtyard on their steeds. 

The moment of parting came ; and Fernan 
advancing to his parents, knelt to receive their 
blessing, and was fondly folded in their arms. 
He embraced in turn his brothers and sisters, 
waved an adieu to the retainers of the household 
who gathered to see him off ; and, springing 
lightly upon his horse's back, rode forth, fol- 



12 MAGELLAN. 

lowed by his attendants, on his way to Lisbon. 

It took several days to traverse the highways 
that led from Villa Real to the capital of the 
kingdom. Fernan's journey was, however, 
through a smiling and fruitful country, where 
the vineyards grew luxuriantly, and were just now 
laden with luscious ripe grapes of many colors. 
At night, he put up at a wayside inn, where he occu- 
pied the best room the house afforded, and regaled 
himself right merrily on the ragouts and omelets 
which were served up to him smoking hot, with 
his wine and biscuits. Everywhere he was re- 
ceived with the honor due to his rank and his 
destined position at court ; nor did any accident 
befall him until, on an Autumn afternoon, his 
eyes were gladdened by the sight of Lisbon in 
the distance. 

On reaching the capital, and after taking quar- 
ters at a hotel which stood not far from the royal 
palace, Fernan lost no time in seeking an audi- 
ence of King Manuel. This was easy enough to 
obtain. Among the young courtiers, Fernan 
found several old friends from his own part of the 
country ; and they found no difficulty in intro- 
ducing him to the royal presence. 



MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. I3 

King Manuel was still youthful, and carried him- 
self with truly royal grace and dignity. His face 
was rather a stern one, but bore upon it the im- 
press of a grave and thoughtful, rather than an 
ill-natured character. Ambitious, and eager to 
advance the glory and power of his realm, and to 
outvie its rival, Spain, in the conquest and do- 
minion of distant lands, he was an ardent stu- 
dent, and employed his time rather in serious 
affairs of state than in the frivolous gaieties of 
court life. 

The monarch was seated in the great hall of 
his palace, surrounded by his courtiers and offi- 
cers, when Fernan, arrayed in his most brilliant 
suit, was ushered into his presence. 

" The son of the hidalgo Magellan is right wel- 
come," said King Manuel, as Fernan bowed low 
before him ; " and it will please me to give him 
a place in my household." With that, the king 
went on to inform Fernan that his duty would 
be to attend the royal person, that he should 
have a certain stipend every month with which 
to maintain himself, and that he should be pro- 
vided with an apartment in the palace. 

In no long time, Fernan had become com- 



14 MAGELLAN. 

pletely accustomed to court life. The fine 
dresses, the brilliant displays, the balls and par- 
ties, the great dinners and imposing ceremonies, 
for awhile amused and distracted him. He en- 
joyed the city, with its busy streets, its crowded 
roadstead, its fine buildings, its gay life. ; and not 
less, the companionship of many young men of 
his own rank and age, with whom he passed many 
a jolly and boisterous hour. 

But his ambition was by no means satisfied 
by these pastimes and pleasures. The court to 
him was only the high road to a more stirring 
and manly career. As he saw the fleets of cara- 
vels sail out of the harbor, on their way to newly 
found lands in Africa, Asia, and America, he 
longed, too, to traverse the seas, and seek the 
glories of combat, and the still nobler glories of 
discovery. Impatiently he watched the prepara- 
tions of his more lucky companions, who were 
chosen to take part in these expeditions; he 
chafed under the necessity by which, while they 
went forth in search of adventures, he was still 
bound by his service to the. king. 

Meanwhile, he grew : n the royal favor. King 
Manuel, perceiving him to be more aspiring and 



MAGELLAN GOES TO COURT. 1 5 

more serious than many of his fellow-courtiers, 
kept him about his own person, and often engaged 
in conversation with him. Fernan attracted the 
king's good will by the enthusiasm with which 
he talked of the discoveries which had been made 
by the Portuguese voyagers ; and in his own 
mind, the kinp- soon marked him out as one 
likely in the not distant future, to be of import- 
ant service to the state. Had Don Manuel con- 
tinued to esteem Fernan so highly, he would 
have added one more bright jewel to his crown, 
in the possession of the famous straits, the dis- 
covery of which is to be described in the follow- 
ing pages ; but, unfortunately for Portugal, in the 
course of time he took a dislike to the ambitious 
young.man, and Spain, instead of Portugal, reaped 
the benefit of his rare genius. 



l6 MAGELLAN. 




CHAPTER II. 

MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. 

ERNAN had not been long at court, when 
an event occurred which threw Lisbon 
into excitement, and which was destined 
to turn the current of Fernan's. future life. This 
was the return of the famous discoverer. Vasco 
da Gama, from his second voyage to India. 

The victories which da Gama had gained, his 
successful voyages to and from India, the splen- 
did reception with which he was welcomed home, 
the honors of nobility and fortune that were 
showered upon him, the praises of him that rang 
through Portugal, all excited Fernan's ambition, 
and stimulated anew his longing to enter upon a 
career of adventure. In no long time he made 
Vasco da Gama's acquaintance, and was soon ad- 
mitted to his intimacy; and many an hour did the 
young man spend at da Gama's house, listening 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. \J 

to the soul-stirring tales of his exploits by sea 
and land. Da Gama told him of the marvellous 
riches of India; of the customs of the people, 
and the struggles in which they had engaged 
with the Portuguese; and in such glowing colors 
described the romance of that distant land, the 
perils which there awaited the Portuguese warriors, 
and the glories which they might achieve, that 
Fernan burned to take part in its further con- 
quest. 

There was then at the Portuguese court, a 
brave and enterprising captain, named Francisco 
D'Almeyda. He had won renown at the famous 
seige of Granada, and in fighting the Moors in 
Africa ; and he was descended from one of the 
noblest families of Portugal. King Manuel had 
no more courageous or courtly subject. 

Some time after Vasco da Gama's return, 
D'Almeyda was chosen as the first viceroy, or 
governor of India. So much loved and trusted 
was he, that no sooner was his approaching de- 
parture for the East announced, than a crowd 
of seekers after adventure, of all ranks and con- 
ditions, flocked to him and begged to be allowed 
to go with him. 



15 * MAGELLAN. 

D'Almeyda knew Fernan Magellan, whom he 
had long been in the habit of meeting about the 
court. He had seen more than one instance 
of his bravery, arid was deeply impressed with the 
restless ardor of his ambition. No sooner did 
Fernan, therefore, appear before him, and eagerly 
ask for a place under his command, than the 
viceroy freely promised him what he desired. 

Fernan now set eagerly about his preparations 
for departure. He besought and easily obtained 
the consent of King Manuel ; and finding that he 
had plenty of spare time before D'Almeyda 
sailed, he employed it in revisiting his home in 
Traz os Montes, to bid adieu to hisparents,broth- 
ers and sisters, and take a last look at the famil- 
iar scenes of his childhood. He was going a long 
way off, into the midst of many dangers, and 
might never behold those beloved haunts again. 

He was in the flower of young manhood, being 
about twenty-five years of age, when, from- the 
deck of the flag-ship of D'Almeyda's fleet, he saw, 
with contending emotions, the shores of Portu- 
gal growing dim and fading away in the distance. 
He found himself at last a soldier, in a large and 
well-appointed force ; and he was impatient that 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. ig 

the voyage should be rapidly pursued, and that 
they should quickly reach the scene of their 
future exploits. 

No untoward mishap marked the progress of 
the fleet. Gentle winds wafted it on its course; 
scarcely a gale assailed it as it sped on, touching 
now at the Cape Verde Islands, now at the pretty 
harbor at St. Helena, and 'at last near the Cape 
of Good Hope. 

D'Almeyda's first task was to secure Portu- 
guese garrisons at certain points on the East 
African coast, where, according to the reports that 
had reached King Manuel, there was an abund- 
ance of gold and other riches. Entering the 
harbor of Quiloa, a town on the coast ruled over 
by a barbarian king who was hostile to the Por- 
tuguese, he assailed, captured, and plundered it. 
Fernan here had his first taste of the excitements 
and dangers of battle, and side-by-side with his 
noble commander, he fought with a headlong 
and lion-like courage which. at once marked him 
out as a hero among his comrades. 

From Quiloa, where he built a fort, D'Almeyda 
went to Mombaza, further up the coast; and 
here, too, the Portuguese met with a stout re- 



20 MAGELLAN. 

sistance from the natives. These natives had 
already had a taste of European warfare ; for 
some years before Vasco da Gama had at- 
tacked them. He had, it seems, lost some of 
his cannon overboard. These the natives had 
managed to haul up from the bottom of the 
sea ; and, somehow, they had learned how 
to use them; so that* when D'Almeyda assailed 
them, he was amazed to be welcomed with the 
roar of artillery. He succeeded, however, after 
a desperate fight, in capturing Mombaza, where 
he found an abundance of spoil ; and he remained 
in this place some days. 

One morning, as Fernan was looking about 
him in this strange African town, he was sur- 
prised to see, propped up near the gate of the 
palace, a large iron anchor. On examining it 
further, he found that it had, without doubt, 
come from Portugal. He hastened to report the 
discovery to D'Almeyda ; who, on questioning 
some of the natives, learned that it was an 
anchor which Vasco da Gama had lost in the har- 
bor, and which had been hauled up, and by order 
of the king, placed at his palace gate as a curiosity. 

The next place at which the fleet stopped was 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. 21 

the friendly town of Melinda, where Vasco da 
Gama had been welcomed and treated with lavish 
hospitality. The old king, who had shown him 
so much attention, was dead ; but in his stead 
ruled his son, who proved equally well-disposed 
towards the Portuguese. D'Almeyda was received 
with cordial greeting, visited the king in his flour- 
ishing city, and was allowed to build a fort on the 
heights that rose above it. 

All this time, the fleet had been gradually 
drawing nearer to India, its final destination ; and 
on leaving Melinda, it struck directly across the 
ocean, favored by the trade winds, and after a 
rapid voyage, reached Malabar. 

Fernan, who had shown conspicuous bravery in 
all the battles in which the Portuguese had been 
engaged with the Africans, and had become 
a great favorite, both with D'Almeyda and with 
his fellow-soldiers, was delighted to see at last 
the land of which he had heard so much, and 
where he hoped to fight his way up to fame 
and fortune. He gazed in wonder at the singular 
costumes of the natives, the gorgeous turbans 
and tunics that adorned the persons of the princes 
and great men, the bazaars, full of rich cloths, 



22 MAGELLAN. 

fine carvings, and luscious fruits; and marvelled 
at the luxurious vegetation that crowned the 
hills and clustered in the valleys. 

But he was soon called away from all this sight- 
seeing, by his duties as a soldier. He had not 
come merely to visit a strange land, and idly 
observe its curiosities and customs. There was 
stern work before him ; and he cheerily obeyed the 
summons that called upon him to follow his 
commander. 

He served gallantly with D'Almeyda in his 
many attacks upon the Indian chiefs and towns 
that still resisted the Portuguese sway ; went 
with him to Cochin and Cananore, took part in 
the desperate seige of Coulam, and that of Onor, 
and engaged in many a fight with the Moors, 
who, jealous of the Portuguese, exerted their 
utmost energies to drive them from India. 

It happened that, after Fernan had been in 
India some time, a famous Portuguese general, 
Alfonso de Albuquerque, arrived with a large 
force, with the purpose of carrying the conquests 
of Portugal still further east. Albuquerque 
was one of the greatest soldiers of his time. 
He had a noble nature, was refined, generous, 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. 23 

energetic, and as brave a man as there was in 
the world. His soldiers idolized him, because, 
though very stern when offended, he cheerfully 
shared their hardships, and always led them in 
person. He had a pleasant, genial face, which 
was rendered yet more benign by the long, snow- 
white beard that fell over his breast, almost to 
his waist ; his eye was bright and kindly, but in 
battle was lit up with the fierce fire of his valor 
and enthusiasm ; his bearing was at once dignified 
and gracious. 

To Albuquerque, Fernan was at once attracted, 
and, as D'Almeyda was now busy with the civil 
affairs of his viceroyalt}^, and matters were, for the 
time, quiet in India, he hastened to enlist under 
Albuquerque's standard. 

Near the straits between the Indian Ocean and 
the Persian gulf lies an island, on which stood, 
and still stands, the city of Ormuz. It is an old 
saying in the East, that " the world is a ring, and 
Ormuz is the gem set in it." At the time of 
which we speak, Ormuz was, in consequence of 
its position as commanding the straits between 
the two oceans, one of the most important places 
in all Asia. Its harbor was always full of the 



24 MAGELLAN. 

quaint craft of the Eastern waters ; Arabian, 
Moorish, Persian, Indian, Malay, Tartar, and 
Armenian boats might have been seen crowded 
together in its roadstead ; while its markets 
teemed with the various wares produced in the 
countries to which they belonged. The city itself 
was alive with trade ; its streets and squares were 
spread over a wide area ; and it possessed many 
stately buildings. 

The Portuguese had long looked with covetous 
eyes upon so fine a military position, and so rich 
an emporium; and Albuquerque was resolved 
to add this " gem of the world" to the crown of 
his royal master. 

It was in September, 1507, that he set sail, with 
a fleet of seven ships and a force of less than 
five hundred men, to attack a city which, he knew 
well, was defended by a large garrison of Indians 
and Persians. With Albuquerque went, his heart 
aglow with excitement and hope, Fernan Magel- 
lan. There was not a soldier in the little army 
that looked forward more cheerily than he to what 
was nothing less than a recklessly audacious en- 
terprise. His experience in war made him con- 
fident of his prowess; and he longed to meet 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. 2$ 

foemen, like the Persians and Arabs, more worthy 
of the steel of Portuguese cavaliers than the 
African barbarians and the. half-civilized Hindoos. 

In due time the fleet arrived off the busy har- 
bor of Ormuz ; and Albuquerque hastened to 
attack the ships which defended it. One by one 
the native ships, riddled by Albuquerque's can- 
non, sank beneath the waves; the town itself 
was set on fire ; and soon a message came from 
the grand vizier, that he would yield to the 
Portuguese, acknowledge King Manuel as the 
lord of Ormuz, allow a fort to be built, and pay 
a large tribute. Content with this submission, 
Albuquerque sailed back to India again. 

But when he had gone, the vizier, (who was 

reigning as regent in Ormuz, during the infancy 
of its prince), refused to fulfill his pledges ; and 
the next year, Albuquerque again attacked the 
city. This time he was badly repulsed ; and was at 
last forced to give up the purpose of capturing it. 
In these conflicts young Fernan took an eager 
and gallant part. More than once he fell seri- 
ously wounded, but as soon as his wounds were 
dressed, he was up again, fighting with all his 
might; and soon was known throughout India as 



26 MAGELLAN. 

one of the bravest captains in the Portuguese 
camp. 

He went on many of the expeditions that were 
undertaken by Albuquerque and other generals, 
everywhere displaying conspicuous valor and 
military skill ; and he at the same time made 
himself beloved by his fellow-soldiers, by sharing 
their dangers and hardships, and devoting himself 
heart and soul to their welfare. 

On one occasion, a small fleet was sent by 
Albuquerque from Cochin back to Portugal, and 
two- ships, one of them commanded by Magellan, 
were dispatched to convey this fleet into the 
open sea. These two ships set out towards 
night ; but had not proceeded far, when, in the 
darkness, they both struck on the shoals of 
Padua, remaining aground, and upright on their 
keels. It was a situation of great peril, for the 
ships were likely to break up and founder at any 
moment. In all haste the boats were got out, 
and a great clamor now arose among the men as 
to who should return in them to the main land. 

At this critical juncture, Magellan displayed the 
true nobility of his nature. Although, as an offi- 
cer, he was entitled to return in the boats, he 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. 2J 

resolutely refused to do so. He declared that he 
would remain with the men, while the rest of the 
officers went back ; and he went around among 
the sailors, exhorting them to stand by the ships 
as long as they remained above water. 

His example put to shame those who had been 
clamoring to return to the main land, and his 
cheery words turned their terror into confidence. 
He happened, just as one of the boats, full of 
its human freight, was about to pull away to the 
shore, to step into it for a moment, to speak to 
its captain. One of the sailors, alarmed at this, 
cried out to him : 

" Sir, did you not promise to stay with us?" 
" Yes," shouted back Magellan ; " and see, I am 
coming;" with which he climbed back upon the 
stranded ship again, and took his place among 
those who were to stay by the ships. 

The boats having departed, Magellan set vig- 
orously to work to save the ships and their car- 
goes. He ordered shores to be set with the 
yards on each side of the vessels, their sides to 
be raised as well as possible, and biscuits and 
water to he put within. These tasks done, Ma- 
gellan saw to it that the men committed no rob- 



28 MAGELLAN 

beries, and completely won their confidence by 
the promptness and vigor of his measures. 

In this dangerous situation the crew remained 
for a week ; when some caravels, sent out to suc- 
cor them, arrived, took them on board, and 
transferred so much of the cargoes as remained 
uninjured by the salt water. The stranded ships 
were then burned, and Magellan and his compan- 
ions returned safely to Cochin. 

Soon after this, Magellan committed an act 
which not only deprived him of the affection of 
Albuquerque, but had a very important influence 
on his future career. He was now one of the 
most distinguished of the Portuguese captains in 
Portugal, and was called into the councils of the 
viceroy and the generals, to take part in the 
decisions which those councils made. 

Albuquerque was anxious to make an attack 
on a town called Goa, which was situated on an 
island, just off the coast of India. It had a good 
harbor, and was one of the chief trading-places 
on the coast. He therefore called a council of 
war, and proposed his project to the assembled 
chiefs. Among these was Magellan. On hear- 
ing the general's plan, he was bold enough to 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. 20, 

oppose it. He reminded Albuquerque that the 
winds were now contrary, and that if the ships 
were taken to Goa, they could not return that 
year to Portugal; and did his utmost to dissuade 
the general from the expedition. 

Magellan's opposition did not please Albuquer- 
que, who, though not an unamiable man, was im- 
patient of contradiction. He declared that in 
spite of what Magellan said, he should go to 
Goa, with such ships as he had, and such men as 
chose to go with him ; and he accordingly sailed 
out of Cochin with twenty-one vessels, and six- 
teen hundred soldiers, to execute his purpose. 

Having thus displeased the old warrior, under 
whose lead he had fought so long and well, Ma- 
gellan found himself out of service in India. But 
he could not rest idle. His ambition still stirred 
him to attempt deeds of daring, to share the 
the thrilling perils of the camp and field. 

Besides alienating the good will of Albuquer- 
que, he had lost nearly all the property he had ac- 
quired during his residence in India ; and to con- 
tinue his military life was not only a satisfaction 
but a necessity. 

He accordingly turned his eyes to another part 



30 MAGELLAN. 

of the world, where the Portuguese were contend- 
ing for dominion, just as they were in India. 
They had long engaged in fierce wars with the 
Moors ; and had managed to secure some foot- 
hold in Morocco. Thither Magellan, pining for 
active service, wended his way ; and soon found 
himself in command of some Portuguese troops 
at a settlement called Azamor. Here he engaged 
in almost continual conflicts with the Moors and 
Arabs, who struggled fiercely against the Euro- 
pean intruders upon African soil. 

Magellan would sally out from the town, at 
the head of a body of his brave troopers, and reck- 
lessly assail the Arab camps that threatened to 
attack it. He rode or marched at the head of his 
soldiers, and was the first to fire at or cut down 
with sword the swarthy foes who rushed out to 
meet him. 

On one of these rash sallies, Magellan fell 
hotly upon an Arab camp, and was dealing Hercu- 
lean blows, right and left, when a poisoned javelin, 
hurled from the midst of the enemy, entered his 
leg. He had so often been wounded before, that 
he made light of the circumstance ; but on being 
carried back to Azamor, it was found that the 



MAGELLAN AT THE WARS. 3 1 

wound was a serious one. The skill of the sur- 
geons soon restored him to health ; but from that 
day till his death, Magellan was lame. 

Magellan, through all the exciting events in 
which he had taken part since leaving the royal 
court at Lisbon, had never lost sight of the chief 
ambition and desire of his youth. This was, to 
win the laurels of a great discoverer, and to 
leave his name renowned in history, as were 
those of Columbus and Vasco da Gama. He had 
now seen much service, and felt that there was 
little glory to be gained in the petty wars with 
the Moors ; and he became impatient to enter 
upon some long and hazardous voyage, and 
search the strange and obscure regions of the 
world. 

He therefore repaired to Lisbon, to entreat 
King Manuel to fit up and give him the command 
of an expedition of discovery. 



32 MAGELLAN. 



CHAPTER III. 

MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 



|pWTrc|AGELLAN approached the capital of his 
o|vj| | native land with much misgiving. He 
knew but too well that King Manuel no 
longer looked upon him with the favor he once 
had done, in spite of his heroic service in India and 
Africa. His resistance to Albuquerque's plans had 
been reported to the court, and had deeply of- 
fended the king. Moreover, when Magellan, finding 
his stipend too little to support him, had petitioned 
the king to increase it, the request had been 
curtly refused. 

Yet he was resolved not to waste his years in 
fighting against the Moors. He had heard, from 
one of his most intimate friends, an energetic 
voyager named Francisco Serrano, of the delights 
and riches of the famous Molucca Islands, in the 
Eastern seas ; and, after deep study of the rude 



MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 33 

maps which then existed, Magellan came to the 
conclusion that those islands might be reached 
by sailing, not southward and eastward, by the 
Cape of Good Hope and around India, but west- 
ward, across the Atlantic. 

If this were only possible to be done, he who 
should succeed in doing it would win renown 
rivalling that of Vasco da Gama himself; and 
Magellan made up his mind that, at all hazards, 
he would attempt it. 

On reaching Lisbon, he lost no time in seeking 
an audience of King Manuel. But the king, 
having now imbibed a violent prejudice against his 
brave officer, at first refused to see him at all ; 
and Magellan's heart sank within him. 

One day, however, he received a summons to 
appear in the royal presence. Determined to 
make the best of circumstances, Magellan donned 
a rich suit of velvet, put on a handsome cap 
adorned with plumes, and taking his handsomest 
sword from the wall, buckled it about his waist. 
Then, with haughty carriage, for even before 
majesty itself he would bear himself proudly, he 
entered the audience chamber, and advanced 
with a slight limp in his gait, to where the king 



34 MAGELLAN 

sat upon his throne, surrounded by his courtiers. 

King Manuel glanced at him coldly, and a 
frown gathered on his face. 

" Well, sir," said he, sternly, " why have you left 
your post in Africa, to come hither? What peti* 
tion do you desire to make?" 

" I have come, your Majesty," replied Magel- 
lan, bowing , " to ask for an. employment higher 
and more perilous, and of greater benefit to your 
throne, than that in which I have been engaged. 
I pray you to reflect, sir, that I have been of 
some service to the state. My wounds, that 1 
bear on every part of my body, attest it. I seek 
a wider field of service to your Majesty." 

" Magellan," was the royal retort, " you caused 
sore trouble -in India, when you obstinately op- 
posed the projects of my good general, Albuquer- 
que, and incited the captains to refuse to go 
with him ; you have demanded of me a larger 
stipend than you deserve ; and you have left 
your post to come hither on some fool's errand. 
What do you wish ?" 

" The king is not just to me !" boldly declared 
the cavalier. " But I will not dare reproach him. 
Sire, my wish is to command an expedition of dis- 



MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 35 

covery. I would seek a new and shorter way, by 
sailing westward, to the islands of the eastern 
seas." 

" It is folly !" said the king, " I will not 
permit you to attempt it. Retire, Magel- 
lan. You have provoked my displeasure by leav- 
ing your post. Return to it, sir, and be thankful 
that you are not punished for your conduct." 

With bowed head, and countenance deadly 
pale with indignation and disappointment, Ma- 
gellan slowly passed out of the hall into the cor- 
ridor of the palace. Overcome with sad emotion, 
he leaned against one of the pillars, and almost 
sobbed in his intense grief. Thus were all his 
bright hopes dashed ; thus all his bright dreams 
of adventures and fame rudely dispelled. 

As he lingered in the corridor, a tall, stalwart 
man, with black beard that swept down to his 
girdle, his body enveloped in a long black gown, 
and his head covered with a black velvet skull- 
cap, approached, and gently laid his hand upon 
the cavalier's shoulder. 

" Be of good cheer, Magellan !" said he, in a 
low, sympathetic voice. " There are other kings 
in Christendom besides King Manuel, and other 



36 MAGELLAN 

stout and goodly caravels than those of Portugal. 
All is not lost because your petition is rejected. 
You have been severely treated ; but if King 
Manuel blindly refuses to perceive your genius, 
there are those who will !" 

" What mean you, my friend ?" asked Magel- 
lan, looking up with a bright glance in his eyes, 
for the other's words gave him a world of encour- 
agement, and comfort ; " what career is open to 
me, besides that which King Manuel refuses?" 

" Why, that which his rival, King Charles, will 
open to you ! Know you not that the Spanish 
king is ambitious, and is jealous of the triumphs 
of Portugal on the sea, and her conquests in dis- 
tant lands?" 

" What, Faleiro," exclaimed Magellan, " would 
you have me desert my native land, and my sov- 
ereign, to seek a foreign service?" 

" Nothing is more common," replied the other. 
" Here, your service is disdainfully rejected. To 
stay, is to spend your life in stupid skirmishes 
with Moors and Arabs, to live on a miserable 
pittance. If King Manuel will have none of you, 
in what are you bound to him?" 

Faleiro's words sank deep into Magellan's heart. 



MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 37 

They revived his faltering hopes, and opened be- 
fore him a new prospect, just as that which had 
so much allured him seemed closed forever. His 
soul smarted under the sharp reproofs and abrupt 
refusal of King Manuel ; his pride was wounded 
to the quick ; his nature revolted from humble 
submission to the disgrace of being thus publicly 
and scornfully repelled. 

Taking Faleiro's arm, he walked with him slowly 
out of the palace, towards his friend's lodgings. 

This Faleiro was an astrologer, and professed 
to read the future in the stars and signs of the 
heavens. Astrologers in those days were held 
in great honor and reverence in Spain and Portu- 
gal ; and even the wisest men lent an eager ear 
to their prophecies. So it was that Faleiro was 
highly esteemed at King Manuel's court. It was 
there that he had learned to love the impetuous 
and warm-hearted Magellan ; and as he himself 
had a taste for travel and adventures, they soon 
became very intimate. 

The astrologer had heard with both sorrow and 
anger the king's harsh words to Magellan ; and 
he now devoted himself to reviving the down- 
cast spirits of his friend. 



38 _ MAGELLAN. 

They soon reached Faleiro's abode. It was a 
plain, somewhat gloomy building ; and this im- 
pression was increased when one entered the 
dark apartment where the astrologer pursued his 
mysterious studies. 

The unpainted walls were hung with astronom- 
ical charts, and strange pictures representing 
various aspects of the firmament ; while on the 
long tables that lined the room were globes, tele- 
scopes, and other instruments used by Faleiro in 
his nightly tasks. A plain table occupied the 
centre, and to this two high-backed chairs were 
drawn. 

It being now dusk, Faleiro lighted a taper, which 
spread a dim light through the apartment ; and 
motioning to Magellan to sit in one chair, him- 
self took possession of the other. 

" The present is dark to you, dear Fernan," he 
said ;" it seems to you, does it not, as if no 
bright future were in store for you?" 

" Do you bid me hope," was Magellan's reply, 
"for better fortune?" 

" I do. You know that I have cast your horo- 
scope, and have predicted for you a great and 
glorious career. In your own land you have 



MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 39 

nothing to hope for. Go, therefore, to Spain; 
the king will recognize your merits, and, no 
doubt, will give you a fleet. If you will go, Fer- 
nan, I will go with you. I, too, long to brave the 
ocean's perils, to search out new countries. We 
will seek our fortune on the deep together." 

His friend's declaration that he would go with 
him decided Magellan. He no longer hesitated, 
but said that he would lose no time in preparing 
to change his allegiance from Don Manuel to King 
Charles. It was late at night when the friends 
parted with warm embraces. Magellan hastened 
to his lodgings, and tossed all night on his bed, 
agitated by the new project that filled his mind. 
The more he thought of it, the more firmly fixed 
became his resolve to leave the service of his un- 
grateful sovereign, and to become a subject of 
the king of Spain. As Faleiro had said, it was 
no uncommon thing then (nor is it now) for a 
man to thus transfer his citizenship and adopt 
another country than that in which he had 
been born ; and Magellan certainly had the 
strongest reason to abandon his allegiance to 
King Manuel. 

There was another reason, of which he had 



40 MAGELLAN. 

said nothing to Faleiro, why the project of going 
to Spain pleased him. 

At Seville lived a cousin of his, named Don 
Diego Barbosa. This Barbosa was a man of 
much wealth and importance, and although a 
Portuguese, had risen to be mayor of the ancient 
Spanish city. He lived in a grand house there, 
and gave splendid entertainments, and lived in 
sumptuous luxury. 

Before Barbosa had moved from Lisbon to 
Seville, young Magellan had been in the habit of 
visiting familiarly at his house. He had been 
received, being a relation, as one of the family ; 
and many of the pleasantest hours of his early 
sojourn at court, were spent at his cousin 
Barbosa's. 

Of one member of the family, Magellan be- 
came especially fond. This was Barbosa's lovely 
young daughter, Beatrix. She was tall and slight, 
with long, rich, raven ringlets, melting brown eyes, 
and gentle and graceful bearing. No wonder that 
the young courtier was drzzled by her beauty, or 
that she, in return, was pleased with the fine 
cavalier who cast upon her so many soft, appeal- 
ing glances. 



MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 41 

When Barbosa, carrying away the fair Beatrix, 
repaired to Seville to live, Magellan was very much 
cast down. But soon after, he had sailed for 
India, and his grief at losing sight of his lovely 
cousin, was softened amid the stirring scenes 
which absorbed his mind in the East. 

Now, he was himself going to Spain, and would 
not fail to visit Seville. Then, if Beatrix were 
still free, he would revive his courtship, and win 
her if he could. 

In no long time, the two friends had made 
their preparations for departure. Magellan re- 
signed his commission as an officer in King 
Manuel's army ; and without taking the trouble 
to make his appearance again at a court where he 
had been so rudely and publicly disgraced, set 
out on horseback, with Faleiro, for Seville. 

The journey was a long one, but the travellers 
were not pressed for time, and made merry on 
their bright prospects, as they went. Fortun- 
ately, they had a good supply of money, and 
were attended by two faithful servants, who went 
fully armed, lest the party should be attacked by 
the brigands. 

It was mid-Autumn, and nature was brilliant 



42 MAGELLAN. 

with the fast-changing foliage of the dense forests 
of Southern Portugal and Spain. Everywhere, 
in the vineyards, the grape-pickers, of all ages and 
both sexes, were busily at work, gathering the 
full-ripe harvest ; while ever and anon the travel- 
lers came upon the yards where, in rude stone 
troughs, the peasants were busy treading and 
pressing the grapes, the juice of which ran out, 
in gushing streams, into the big tubs set below. 
Magellan and Faleiro often stopped to pass a 
merry word with the toilers, and to drink the 
new-made wine, as they sat at the tables in front 
of the cozy wayside inns. 

They reached Seville without mishap, and re- 
paired at once to a large hostelry, which stood on 
one of the public squares. Magellan's heart beat 
high as he thought that, not far off, lived 
Beatrix, all unconscious that he was so near. A 
hundred doiibts and misgivings passed through 
his excited mind. Perhaps she was already 
married ; perhaps she had entirely forgotten him ; 
perhaps, true to her love, but despairing of his, 
she had retired to a convent, and become a nun. 
Many years had passed since he had seen her ; 
and, instead of the slim, shy girl of fourteen that 



MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 43 

he so tenderly remembered, she must now be a 
stately and mature woman of twenty-five. 

Eager as he was, however, to see her and learn 
his fate, his thoughts were not entirely absorbed 
by the gentle Beatrix. He reflected with a 
thrill that he was now in the territory of the war- 
like and ambitious king of Spain ; that he was 
within a step of those famous quays of Seville, 
whence so many gallant expeditions had sailed in 
search of discovery, and where, even now, fleets 
of caravels lay at anchor, ready to make their ven- 
tures upon the ocean. Magellan longed to 
stroll along the quays, and to talk with the rough 
captains about their expected voyages. 

Arrayed in his gayest attire, Magellan set out 
the next day to make known his presence in 
Seville, to his cousin, Diego Barbosa. He ap- 
proached the spacious mansion with fluttering 
heart, and his hand trembled as he knocked upon 
its lofty portal. 

Don Diego received him with the warmest 
welcome. He had heard, with pride, of Ma- 
gellan's exploits in India and Africa, and was 
delighted to learn that he now proposed to enter 
King Charles's service. He bade Magellan make 



44 MAGELLAN. 

his house his home, and ordered the best that his 
well-stocked larder afforded to be set before the 
new-comer. 

To Magellan's anxious inquiries for Beatrix, 
Don Diego replied that she was at home, and 
well, and that he should presently judge how she 
was, for himself. 

He had, indeed, scarcely finished the bounteous 
meal which his cousin had caused to be set before 
him, when Beatrix entered. She had grown, as 
he supposed, to be a charming and graceful 
woman ; and to his joy, he perceived that she 
welcomed him with the same blushing warmth 
that she used to do. It was a moment of rare 
delight to the lovers when they found that, after 
so long a separation, each retained the old 
affection for the other. 

Magellan at once took up his quarters at Don 
Diego's ; .and made up for the lost time in his 
eager courtship of Beatrix. Her father, far from 
being averse to this state of things, encouraged 
it ; and ere long Magellan had pleaded for and 
won the hand of his fair cousin, with the Don's 
full consent and blessing. 

While his friend was thus revelling in the de- 



MAGELLAN IN SPAIN. 45 

lights of happy love, Faleiro busied himself with 
the errand on which he had come to Spain. He 
made the acquaintance of many captains, and 
sought for some time in vain, for an opportunity 
to lay their projects before the king. Meanwhile, 
he petitioned, to the Council of India, a body of 
grandees who had charge of the Spanish posses- 
sions and discoveries in the East, to accept their 
services, and send them on an expedition to find 
the way, by a westward route, to the Molucca 
Islands. 

Four months after their arrival at Seville, Ma- 
gellan and Faleiro set out for Valladolid, where 
the royal court was sojourning. They were at- 
tended by a large retinue of servants, provided 
for them by the good Don Diego ; and as they 
passed along the highway between Seville and 
Valladolid, they met many cavalcades passing to 
and from the court. The Spanish knights who 
met Magellan greeted him with respect and 
honor, for his fame had reached King Charles's 
dominions, and it had gradually been whispered 
abroad that he was about to enter the Spanish 
service. 

On reaching Valladolid, they found, to their dis- 



4^ MAGELLAN. 

appointment, that the king was away in the 
north, on a hunting expedition ; but they were 
reassured by the favorable reception with which 
Fonseca, the president of the Council of India, 
welcomed them at court. 

They lost no time in laying their plans before 
this great man. He listened incredulously, and 
when Magellan, with earnest voice and excited 
gestures, tried to show him, by a chart, how it was 
as possible to pass around the South American 
Continent, as it had been for Vasco da Gama to 
double the Cape of Good Hope, he smilingly 
shook his head. Fonseca, however, promised 
that as soon as the king returned, he would se- 
cure an audience for the two Portuguese; and 
they waited impatiently until Charles should be 
surfeited with his hunting, and should reappear 
in the midst of his court. 



MAGELLAN. 47 




CHAPTER IV. 

PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. 

ING CHARLES of Spain, at the time that 
Magellan sought him at Valladolid, was 
scarcely more than a boy in years ; but 
already he betrayed the bold and ambitious traits 
which were to make him famous, when after- 
wards, as the Emperor Charles V. of Germany, 
he engaged in the great wars with France. 

At the age of eighteen, though beardless, 
slight, and short in form, with a head of thick, 
stubby, yellow hair, and the large jaw of the 
royal house of Castile, there was something in 
his presence and bearing that was not only 
kingly, but that inspired all who approached him 
with a respect which was as much a tribute to 
his character as to his rank. 

Charles was especially earnest in his desire ,to 



48 MAGELLAN. 

maintain and increase the renown of Spain as the 
discoverer and conquerer of distant lands. He 
was proud of the noble traditions of Ferdinand 
and Isabella, his grandfather and grandmother; 
rejoiced to remember that it was by their help 
that Columbus was enabled to find a new contin- 
ent beyond the Atlantic ; and was deeply jealous 
of the triumphs of his neighbors, the Portuguese, 
in their conquests in India, and on the African 
coast. 

When Magellan and Faleiro, therefore, were 
ushered into his presence, the king was prepared 
to give them a hearty welcome, and to listen 
with attentive ear to what they said. 

In presence of the Spanish court, Magellan un- 
folded his project in an earnest and eloquent 
speech. He described to the king the discov- 
eries already made in America, and declared that, 
if he were only permitted to make the attempt, 
he had no doubt of being able to find a passage 
around the newly-discovered continent. His en- 
thusiasm at once inspired King Charles with con- 
fidence in him ; and his words, describing in 
glowing terms the increased wealth and power 
which would come to the Spanish crown, if his 



REPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. 49 

proposed voyage were successful, aroused all 
Charles's eager ambition. 

On being dismissed from the royal presence, 
Magellan and Faleiro returned to their lodgings, 
to await, in anxious suspense, the king's decision. 
His gracious bearing towards them led them to 
hope that he would grant their wishes ; nor was 
this hope disappointed. 

A few days after, they received a summons to 
appear before Fonseca, the president of the 
Council of India ; and when they entered his 
apartment, he welcomed them with a cordiality 
which augured well for their project. His words 
soon relieved them of all doubt. 

" The king," he said, " has well considered what 
you said to him ; and has consulted his grandees 
and counsellors upon, the matter. He decides to 
consent to your desires ; to furnish you with a 
fleet, of which you, Magellan, are to have the 
command ; and trusting in your loyalty, he will 
provide you with the men and materials necessary 
for your expedition." 

The friends embraced each other in their joy, 
and warmly expressed their gratitude to Fonseca. 
Once more Magellan's heart beat with proud and 



50 MAGELLAN. 

ambitious anticipation. The chief longing of his 
life was about to be gratified. He would at last 
traverse the ocean, and search for the passage, the 
existence which had been a deeply-seated belief 
in his soul. 

Full of exultation, he dispatched a messenger 
with a letter for his beloved Beatrix at Seville, 
which apprized her of his glorious success at 
court ; and then, with Faleiro, cheerily set to 
work preparing for the expedition that had so 
long filled his thoughts. 

King Charles was as good as his word. He 
agreed to fit out five sound and sturdy ships, and 
to man them with two hundred and fifty able 
seamen, who should be paid, for a period of two 
years, out of the royal treasury of Spain. He 
promised Magellan that, if he succeeded in dis- 
covering the desired passage, no other Spanish 
seaman should go through it for ten years ; that 
he should have command of the fleet as its ad- 
miral, and be the governor of all the lands that 
he might discover. 

The king further agreed that Magellan should 
have a twentieth part of all the revenues fiom 
these lands, which the Spanish treasury received ; 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE 5 1 

that he should be allowed to send cargoes of 
spices to Spain every year, to the value of one 
thousand ducats, a fifth of which he should have 
for himself ; and that, of the islands he should 
discover, after the king had chosen six, he should 
have, as his own, the seventh and eighth. 

Thus, if the voyage were only successful, Ma- 
gellan would not only win great fame, but become 
speedily a rich man ; for the islands in the seas to 
which he hoped to penetrate were well known 
to be teeming with precious spices and other 
valuable productions. 

But Magellan's path was not yet an altogether 
smooth one. Many Spanish courtiers and cap- 
tains became jealous of the foreigner's success 
with the king, and whispered suspicions into the 
royal ear. It was an outrage, they said, for a 
Portuguese to be put in command of a Spanish 
fleet, and to reap the honors due to the faithful 
subjects of the crown. There were many Span- 
iards, they declared, who were as able and as 
eager as Magellan to undertake the voyage ; and 
this task should have been confided to them. 

These courtiers were not the only enemies 
Magellan had to face. King Manuel, on hearing 



52 MAGELLAN. 

of the success of his discarded soldier, became 
very much excited, and resolved, if possible, to 
stop the expedition. He began to see that he 
had made a great blunder in treating Magellan 
so rudely, and in haughtily rejecting his offer of 
service ; and feared lest, after all, the king of 
Spain should reap the benefits which he himself 
might have received, had he been less obdurate, 
from Magellan's zeal and genius. 

At the Spanish court was a great Portuguese 
noble, named Alvaro da Costa, who was King 
Manuel's ambassador. To him King Manuel 
sent word to do everything in his power to pre- 
vent Magellan's expedition from setting out. Da 
Costa was very anxious to please his master, for 
he hoped for promotion" if he served him well. 
He lost no time in undertaking the task now im- 
posed upon him ; and resolved that, at all hazards, 
Magellan should not sail, if he could possibly 
help it. 

The first thing he did was to appeal to King 
Charles, and implore him to withdraw his prom- 
ises. He told the king that if he allowed Magel- 
lan to go, he would mortally offend the Portu- 
guese monarch. But this did not move King 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. 53 

Charles, who stood stoutly by his word to Magel- 
lan ; and in this he was encouraged by the good 
bishop of Burgos, who was one of Magellan's 
warmest friends. 

Failing to persuade the king, Da Costa next 
tried with all his might to prevail on Magellan 
himself to give up his expedition. 

Magellan had now returned to Seville, where 
he was busy making his preparations for depart- 
ure, and also for his marriage ; for he was eager 
to make his dear Beatrix his wife, before he 
went. 

One day, as he was absorbed in packing some 
baskets and boxes of provisions and clothing at 
his lodgings, he heard a loud knock at his door, 
and Sebastian Alvarez, King Manuel's agent in 
Seville, an old acquaintance of Magellan's, en- 
tered the room. 

, Magellan greeted him cordially, and asked him 
to be seated ; whereupon Alvarez began to try 
to persuade him to give up his expedition. 

"The road you are going on," he said, "has as 
many dangers as St. Catherine's wheel, and you 
ought to leave it v and take the straight road. In 
doing what you propose, you will mortally offend 



54 MAGELLAN. 

your liege lord, King Manuel, who will set you 
down as a traitor." 

" Not justly," was Magellan's reply ; " for I 
hope by rny discoveries to shed lustre on our 
name, and do honor to the Portuguese crown. If 
I should go back to Portugal, there would be 
nothing left for me but the seven ells of serge, 
and the beads of acorns of a hermit." 

" Nay, if you obey the king, he will do you 
honor; if not, you must suffer his vengeance." 

But Magellan could not be dissuaded from his 
purpose ; and Alvarez was forced to leave him in 
despair, and report his ill-success to King Manuel. 
Then da Costa, the ambassador, concocted still 
darker schemes against Magellan. Resolved to 
prevent his departure at all hazards,he plotted 
to have him killed. He secretly hired an assas- 
sin, who one night fell upon Magellan in one of 
the by-streets of Seville. But the young cava- 
lier, though lame, proved more than a match for 
his dastardly assailant. As the latter was about to 
plunge a dagger in his breast, Magellan whirled 
around, drew his sword quick as a flash, and dealt 
the fellow a frightful blow across the face, and 
drove him, howling with pain, into the darkness. 




An Attempt to Assassinate Magellan. Page 54. 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. 55 

Failing in this cowardly crime, da Costa sent 
his agents to Seville, to stir up the common peo- 
ple against his countryman. They went about 
among the inns and wine-shops, and told the 
Spaniards they were fools to submit to it that a 
foreigner should command a Spanish fleet ; and 
so excited them, that one day, as Magellan was 
passing along the street, he was attacked by a 
furious mob. He made haste to enter the house 
of a friend, which fortunately stood near by, and 
thus escaped being pelted to death. 

He was so happy just at this time, however, 
that these attempts upon his life were forgotten 
almost as soon as they were made ; for the day 
rapidly approached when he would lead his fair 
Beatrix to the altar, and claim her forever as his 
own. The preparations for this event were car- 
ried forward in all haste ; and for weeks the spa- 
cious mansion of Don Diego Barbosa, was full of 
bustle and excitement. 

It was on a fresh, crisp winter's day that the 
bridal procession wended its way to the stately 
and beautiful cathedral of Seville. There was 
Magellan, attended by his own faithful friend, 
Faleiro, and a gay crowd of young nobles and 



$6 MAGELLAN. 

soldiers ; arrayed in his handsomest suit of vel- 
vet, silk and gold lace, and with a face beaming 
with proud pleasure. There was the bride, in 
her splendid wedding robe, surrounded by a 
sparkling bevy of dark Spanish beauties. There 
was the bluff old cavalier, Don Diego, in his official 
dress as mayor of the city, looking delighted and 
happy. And there, at the high altar, stood the 
bishop of Seville, in cope and mitre, ready to 
perform the solemn rites which should make the 
happy couple one. 

The arches of the great cathedral resounded 
with the organ and the sacred chant ; bride and 
bridegroom approached, and knelt at the altar; 
the momentous words were slowly spoken by 
the bishop; and then Magellan, with head erect, 
and a flush upon his cheek, advanced down the 
nave, with his blooming bride upon his arm. Alas ! 
Neither knew how brief would be their married 
life, or that it would end with their happy 
honeymoon ! 

It was during this brief season of his honey- 
moon that Magellan tore himself away from the 
sweet companionship of Beatrix, to watch the 
preparations for his departure. One by one the 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE \J 

good ships which were to sail under his command 
appeared in the harbor of Seville ; one and all 
either newly built or newly repaired, with sturdy 
masts and unsoiled sails, and bedecked with fresh 
paint from stem to stern. 

First, there was the " Trinidad," a small ship, 
indeed, compared with those which we see to-day, 
for it was only of one hundred tons burden, but in 
that time a good-sized craft, well able, it seemed, 
to breast the storms and wild winds of the Atlan- 
tic. This was the flag-ship, in which Magellan 
himself was to go. 

Then there were the " San Antonio " and the 
"Conception," smaller vessels, of eighty tons 
burden each, commanded, the first by Juan de 
Cartagena, a Spanish captain with whom Magel- 
lan was destined later to have much trouble; 
and the other by Gaspar de Quesada. There 
were finally the " Victoria," and " Santiago," of 
sixty tons each, commanded by Luis de Mendoza 
and Juan Serrano, a relation of that friend of 
Magellan who had told him such exciting stories 
about the Molucca islands, which he was now 
going to try to find. 

These ships were all quickly provided with 



58 



MAGELLAN. 



everything required for a long voyage. The 
" Trinidad" carried four large iron cannon ; and 
in all, there were eighty cannon on the five ves- 
sels. Ample provisions were packed in the 
holds, and an abundance of such clothing as the 
officers and crews would need for an uncertain 
period, was supplied. 

Inasmuch as Magellan was going among sav- 
age tribes, who were pleased with gewgaws and 
bright-colored clothing, a part of the cargoes of 
the ships was composed of copper, quicksilver, 
colored cloths, and handsome silks, jackets orna- 
mented with copper and silver buttons, and a 
great variety of bells, bracelets, rings, and other 
trinkets. 

Magellan, while thus supervising the prepara- 
tions of his expedition, did not neglect one im- 
portant task ; that of studying the art of naviga- 
tion. This was not, it is true, a wholly new study 
for him. His boyish fondness for ships and 
voyages had interested him in the art of 
managing vessels, and in the uses of the astrolabe 
and other nautical instruments. From the conver- 
sations he had had with Vasco da Gama, and other 
heroes of the ocean, he had derived much precious 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. $g 

knowledge ; and his voyage to India and back 
had enabled him to observe closely the practical 
working of a ship. 

In the long winter evenings, when he had 
returned from inspecting the progress made in 
his fleet, you might have seen him seated before 
a blazing fire in Don Diego's library — for Don 
Diego was a man of learning, and had. many valu- 
able books, for which he had paid great prices — 
with heavy tomes upon his knee, deep in their 
contents ; or bending over a long table, where he 
had spread out some rude chart of the Atlantic 
or of the American coast, which had been drawn 
by an earlier navigator. 

By his side, deeply absorbed in his pursuit, sat 
his fair young wife ; her face now sad with the 
thought of separating from him ; now lit up 
with tender pride, as she reflected what fame and 
wealth his genius might win from the voyage. 

Thus usefully and pleasantly were spent the 
months that intervened between his marriage and 
the time for him to set out on his daring venture. 

At last that exciting moment came. The 
ships were all ready, moored side by side along 
the quays of Seville. The sailors, some of whom 



60 MAGELLAN. 

were Portuguese and some Spanish, were gathered 
in the city, and had, for the most part, taken up 
their quarters on board the vessels ; and they 
were one and all impatient to sail. The captains 
and pilots were on board, as anxious as the 
sailors to depart. 

It was on a soft August morning, in 15 19, that 
Magellan rose, attired himself in his admiral's 
uniform, and lingered for awhile,locked in his wife's 
close embrace. He needed all his self-restraint 
to remain composed, and to utter every tender 
and consoling word that he could think of, to 
soften her sorrow at the parting. Then, gently 
withdrawing himself from her clinging arms, he 
gave her a last, long, loving look, and slowly 
passed into the street. There his attendants 
awaited him — his servants, and some of the sail- 
ors from the flag-ship. Don Diego was there, 
too, ready to accompany his son-in-law to the 
quays; and Don Diego's young son, Edward 
Barbosa, who was to go with Magellan and 
share his perils, was by his father's side. They 
mounted their horses and slowly rode through 
the streets. 

Every thoroughfare was crowded. It was al- 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. 6l 

ways a holiday with the gay and pleasure-loving 
Sevillians, when a great expedition was to set sail 
from their port on a voyage of discovery; and 
they had long known of Magellan's hardy pro- 
ject. There was now no trace of the miserable 
jealousy which had stirred a mob to assail him, 
but one and all, by their faces and cheers, seemed 
anxious to give him a hearty " God-speed." 

Arrived at the quays, Magellan descended 
from his horse, embraced Don Diego and the 
other friends who had gathered to bid him adieu, 
and attended by Edward Barbosa, his officers 
and sailors, went on board the flag-ship and 
ascended to the deck. At the same time, the 
other captains appeared on their decks, and the 
crews began to weigh anchor and spread the 
white new sails. 

It was a noble sight to see the five comely 
ships, almost side by side, slowly creep out of 
the lovely harbor ; the sun flashing on the flags 
and pennons that floated from the masts, and 
making the new paint on the ships' sides glitter; 
a gentle breeze just ruffling the blue waves, and 
stirring them from a glassy calm ; the quays 
alive with the chattering, noisy, and picturesquely 



62 MAGELLAN. 

attired crowd ; the cannon pealing forth their 
deafening salvos from ship and shore ; the cap^ 
tains erect on their decks, waving their plumed 
hats, and every now and then turning to shout 
their orders to their subalterns ; and the lofty- 
towers of cathedral and palace growing more 
and more dim and fairy-like as the little fleet 
floated away from the mole, and sped cheerily 
out upon the broad sweep of the river that 
flowed to the Atlantic ! 

Soon the eyes of the people on the quays were 
vainly strained seaward, and the eyes of those 
on the ships gazed without avail in the direction 
that the city stood. 

Magellan was fairly off at last. What adven- 
tures would he meet with ; what wonderful things 
would he discover on the surging deep ? 



MAGELLAN. 63 




CHAPTER V. 

MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. 

OME time elapsed, after sailing from Sev- 
ille, before Magellan put out into the 
open sea. After passing down the Guad- 
alquivir, and narrowly escaping being stranded on 
two ruined pillars, which were in the bottom of 
the river, and had once supported a fine bridge 
built by the Moors, the ships reached the hoary 
old castle of St. Lucar, that lifted its towers high 
above the stream. 

This castle belonged to the Duke of Medina 
Sidonia, one of the greatest nobles in Spain ; and 
just below it was a good port, at the mouth of 
the river, whence vessels could readily sail out 
upon the ocean. 

Finding, when he reached this port, that the 
winds were contrary, and being in no hurry, Ma- 



64 MAGELLAN. 

gellan anchored, and awaited more favorable 
breezes. The interval was employed in adding 
to. the ships' stores some necessaries that had 
been overlooked, and in religious exercises. Ma- 
gellan caused all his sailors to go ashore, at- 
tend mass, and make confession before their de- 
parture; and he himself set the example. 

One day, Magellan summoned all his captains 
and officers on board the flag-ship, and told them 
the rules by which he wished the fleet to be 
guided. 

" First," he said, " my flag-ship shall sail ahead, 
and the other ships follow ; and that you may not 
lose sight of me at night, I will cause a burning 
torch to be set upon the poop-deck, which shall 
be kept burning as long as it is dark. When I 
wish to tack, the wind being contrary, or to make 
less way, I will show two lights. I have on board, 
you know, some torches made of reeds, well 
soaked in water, beaten flat, and dried in the 
sun ; these will burn brightly. When I wish you 
to lower your small sail, I will burn three lights; 
and if I suddenly put out two of these, and leave 
a single light burning, you may know that you 
are to stop and turn. Should I espy any land or 



MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. 6$ 

•shoal ahead, I will cause a bombard to be fired 
off; and if I desire to make all sail, I will show 
four lights. Your answering signals will be simi- 
lar lights, displayed in response to mine. As to 
watches, you will cause three to be kept at night ; 
one at dusk, a second at midnight, and the third 
at break of day; and you must change the 
watches every night. Now, observe well these 
rules; that you may not forget them, here they 
are in writing, a copy for each of you." 

At last, to Magellan's great relief, the wind 
shifted, and blew from the right quarter; and 
on the 20th of September, 1 5 19, the little fleet 
set forth from the harbor of St. Lucar, and 
was soon buffeting the waves of the At* 
lantic. 

Magellan directed his course northwesterly. 
He knew that in order to pass, as he felt confi- 
dent it was possible for him to do, around the 
South American continent, he must steer more 
to the south than had the previous expeditions. 
Already a Spanish expedition had reached the 

.fortieth degree of latitude south, on what is now 
the coast of Brazil ; and thrilling news had come 
of Balboa's discovery of a farther Ocean. That 



66 MAGELLAN. 

a great ocean lay beyond the newly-found conti- 
tinent, was therefore certain ; and if that could 
be gained by doubling the land, there should be 
no doubt that the Molucca Islands, with all 
their bounteous wealth, could be reached ; and 
perhaps the globe itself might be encompassed 
by the doughty little fleet. 

It did not take the ships long to reach the 
Canary Islands, grouped in the midst of the sea, off 
the African coast , and already occupied by lit- 
tle European settlements. They anchored at 
Teneriffe, one of these islands, and took in wood 
and water; and, soon after, stopped at another 
island, where they supplied themselves with an 
' abundance of pitch. 

On this island, Magellan was surprised to hear 
of a curious freak of nature, which, it was said, 
always took place there. He was told that every 
day at mid-day, a cloud came down from the sky, 
and enveloped a large tree; the rain fell from it 
on the leaves of this tree, and water was distilled 
from it, and formed a sort of fountain at the foot 
of the tree. This, he was assured, was the only 
supply of water that the inhabitants of the 
island, man or beast, had. 



MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. 6? 

The fleet again set sail, and in no long time 
reached the Cape Verde Islands, not far from the 
Canaries, in a southwesterly direction. These 
were the last land that the adventurers were to 
stand upon until they sighted the long, dim 
coast of the New World ; but so eager were one 
and all to strike across the ocean, and to see 
what was to be seen beyond, that Magellan made 
but a brief stay at the Cape Verdes. For some 
time they skirted the coast of Guinea, and saw 
the majestic group of the Sierra Leone in the 
hazy distance ; and as they approached the 
equinoctial line, they began to be assailed by 
fierce gales and blinding rain-storms. 

But they kept steadily on their way, Magel- 
lan's flag-ship, with its ever-glimmering lantern 
swinging on the poop-deck, and lighting up the 
billows, taking the lead ; and at last found them- 
selves quite out of sight of land. 

As the ships rode throirgh storm and sunshine, 
the voyagers observed many wonderful things, 
new to their astonished eyes. Often they were 
becalmed, and lazily floated hither and thither 
on the waves, waiting for the return of favorable 
breezes ; and during these calms, they saw with 



68 



MAGELLAN. 



amazement many monsters of the deep, of whose 
existence they had been utterly ignorant. 

Sometimes great sharks, with long teeth 
and awful jaws, followed the ships for leagues 
and for days ; and as soon as the sailors recov- 
ered from their surprise, they began to catch 
them — which was no difficult matter — with huge 
iron hooks, baited with pieces of colored cloth. 
When they had caught their first shark, they tried 
to eat him ; but found his flesh anything but a 
savory morsel. 

They saw, too, many curious birds, such as 
they had never before known of ; and observed 
in one kind, that the females laid their 
eggs on the backs of the males. On one occa- 
sion, Magellan espied so large a number of flying 
fish, that they seemed to him to form an island 
in the sea. 

Men in those days, even the wisest, were 
all superstitious, and believed in miracles, and 
strange appearances ; and on voyages, often im- 
agined that they saw spirits, and were guided by 
spiritual agencies. 

One dark night, when a storm of wind and 
rain was tossing the little fleet franctically to and 



MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. 69 

fro, and rolling the waves high above the decks, 
and the sailors were moaning and praying, fear- 
ing that every instant would be their last, they 
thought that the spirit of Saint Anselm appeared 
to them, in the form of a dazzling light at the 
masthead ; that he stayed there to comfort, and 
cheer, and give them courage, for several hours ; 
and that when the spirit was about to depart, 
the light increased to such brilliancy as fairly to 
blind them. 

No sooner had the spirit, as they believed it to 
be, departed, than the waves subsided, the wind 
fell to a gentle breeze, and the sea-birds began to 
gambol gaily among the sails. 

It took Magellan and his companions a little 
more than two months to cross the Atlantic. 
Happily he had charts which enabled him to sail 
in the direction he desired, and which indicated 
the points at which he wished to arrive. 

One morning in mid-December, the eyes of the 
voyagers were greeted with the sight of the long 
line of gray coast, which they had strained their 
eyes for many a day to espy. Thanks to Magel- 
lan's plan of showing lights, the ships had kept 
steadily together from first to last ; and they 



70 MAGELLAN. 

now rode side-by-side, rapidly drawing near to 
the new continent. 

When Magellan came near enough to distin- 
guish the features of the coast, and the appear- 
ance of the country beyond, he looked about for 
a convenient harbor towards which to steer. It 
was fortunate that the coast itself did not present 
to his eye any very formidable difficulties ; in- 
stead of being rocky and forbidding, it looked 
fair, sloping, and hospitable. 

Running along about a league from the shore, 
parallel with it, he finally discovered a wide inlet, 
which seemed to be the mouth of a river. Here 
he resolved to put in ; although, notwithstanding 
his charts, he was not quite certain where he was. 

At first the region seemed to be deserted. 
The ships entered the wide inlet and anchored; 
and the sailors, crowding into the boats, pulled 
ashore, and leaped joyfully upon the strand. It 
was a hot day, but they were so glad to find them- 
selves on land again, that they paid little atten- 
tion to the burning rays of the sun, which blazed 
down on their heads from his zenith. 

Then Magellan assembled all his officers and 
crews on the shore, and the priests, who were 



MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. Jl 

with them, set up a little altar on the beach. 
The men kneeled in a close body in front of the 
altars, the captains kneeling in front ; and now, 
in this strange solitude, where all nature seemed 
to be in slumber, and where no vestige of any- 
human habitation was yet visible, the solemn ser- 
vice of the mass was performed. 

Magellan and his companions soon found that 
plenty of people dwelt on the shore they had 
reached, although these did not at first make 
their appearance. One of the pilots, named 
John Carvagio, had been in Brazil before, having 
gone with a previous expedition ; and he relieved 
the anxiety of his comrades by assuring them 
that the natives were peaceable and friendly, at 
least to Europeans, whom they regarded as 
superior beings. 

It was not long before little groups of almost 
naked men and women began to make their ap- 
pearance a little distance away, gazing curi- 
ously and timidly at the white men, and appar- 
ently afraid to approach nearer until they were 
reassured as to the intentions of the new-comers. 
The pilot Carvagio, who happily knew a few 
words of their language, at once went forward 



^2 MAGELLAN. 

towards the nearest of these groups, and shouted 
out to them that they need fear nothing, for the 
Spaniards and Portuguese meant no harm, but 
were come as friends. 

Upon this the natives drew nearer, and at last 
came up to the strangers, nodding and grinning, 
and chattering as fast as they could make their 
tongues go. At this moment, a warm, soft, 
pleasant rain began to fall, which was exceed- 
ingly welcome and refreshing on account of the 
heat. 

No sooner had the savages perceived the rain, 
than they commenced playing all sorts of strange 
pranks, which filled the Europeans with astonish- 
ment. They capered wildly about, and lifted up 
their hands towards the clouds, holding their 
swarthy faces so that the drops should fall upon 
and run down them ; sang a loud, discordant 
song, and finally, rushing forward, fell on their 
knees at the feet of the strangers, and began to 
repeat some words very fast, at the same time 
stretching their arms out, and clasping their hands. 

Magellan asked the pilot what they meant by 
these capers; and Carvagio replied: 

"They say that we have come from heaven, 



MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. 73 

bringing the blessed rain with us ; that it has been 
many weeks since it has rained in these parts, 
and that they worship us for causing it to fall." 

It was fortunate that, at the beginning of their 
sojourn, the adventurers should have created so 
favorable an impression ; for now the natives set 
to work with a will, and built a long, low hut 
wherein their visitors might dwell and be sheltered 
as long as they remained. They brought them 
some pigs, which the sailors forthwith roasted and 
ate with great gusto. The pig's flesh was very re- 
freshing after the salt meat and hard-tack with 
which they had been forced to content them- 
selves during their long and weary voyage. The 
natives also laid before them some very curious 
bread, which proved, on being eaten, not nearly 
so nice as the pigs. It was made of the marrow 
of certain trees, and tasted something like very 
poor cheese. 

Magellan found himself so hospitably treated 
on this coast, that he was in no great hurry to 
set sail again. The ships needed some repairs, 
and it was prudent to procure and store such 
provisions as could be found in the vicinity, and 
preserved for a voyage. 



74 MAGELLAN. 

While the repairs were being made, and the 
provisions stored, Magellan and his officers had 
leisure to look around them. They observed the 
natives with great curiosity. These lived in very 
long, low huts, as many as a hundred, sometimes, 
occupying a single hut. The natives did not 
possess any iron implements, but built both their 
houses and their boats with tools made of stones. 
In their dwellings, which Magellan found him- 
self quite free to enter whenever he pleased, he 
saw that the beds were a sort of cotton ham- 
mocks, fastened to large timbers, and extending 
across the wide room; and he was amused to 
observe that the natives built their fires, to warm 
themselves, directly under these hammocks. 

Their boats they built all in one piece, out of 
a single tree, and called them " canoes ;" these 
boats were large enough to hold thirty or forty 
men, and were provided with oars shaped like 
shovels. 

As for the natives themselves, they were not 
bad-looking people for savages. They were of a 
brown color, with almost straight hair ; many 
of the women were almost fair, and quite 
comely. The men did not wear any beards ; for 



MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. 75 

these, it seemed, they were wont to pluck out, 
hair by hair. Both men and women went nearly 
naked, having for apparel only a belt made of 
parrot's feathers about their waists. It was a 
very common thing to see a man with three holes 
in his under lip, from which hung small round 
pebbles ; and some of the women displayed the 
same strange ornament. Many of the natives, 
too, were branded in the face with curious fig- 
ures, impressed in the flesh by means of fire. 

When the men went to their work, their wives 
carried them luncheons in small baskets,which they 
poised on their heads ; while in bags, fastened to 
their necks, they supported their babies. The 
men had, as weapons, long bows made of the black 
palm, and quivers full of arrows, made of cane, 
were hung across their shoulders. 

One thing that surprised Magellan and his 
comrades, was the great number of parrots that 
were to be seen in that region. These were 
of all sizes, and their plumage was of the most 
variegated and gorgeous description. They also 
observed many small monkeys, yellow in color, 
and extremely amusing in their quick and lively 
ways ; and there were also some strange-looking 



?6 MAGELLAN. 

birds, which had beaks like a spoon, and no 
tongues. 

1 As to the natural productions, they were very- 
various and abundant. The fruit was large and 
luscious, and the grain rich and plentiful. 

Magellan was sorry to make one discovery 
during his stay in this place, which greatly les- 
sened his good opinion of the natives. On one 
occasion, after they had been having a fight with 
a neighboring tribe, they brought in several men 
and women, whom they had taken prisoners, and 
proceeded to kill them and cut them up. Soon 
after Magellan found these pieces of human 
flesh hung up at the chimney of one of the huts, 
and being dried by the fire. On asking what 
this meant, he was told that the pieces were 
dried to be eaten. He thus found that his 
savage friends were cannibals. 

An amusing incident happened on the flag- 
ship, a few days before the departure of the 
fleet. The natives had become so familiar that 
they were in the habit of going freely on board 
the ships, and doing there pretty much as they 
liked. One day, a beautiful young girl, about 
seventeen, went on board the " Trinidad," and 



MAGELLAN CROSSES THE ATLANTIC. 7/ 

was observed by Magellan to be peering cau- 
tiously about, and trying to escape being noticed. 
Curious to know what she was about, he watched 
her; and presently saw her creep up to a nail, 
two or three inches long, that was driven into 
the door of his cabin. She seized it, pulled it 
out, and in a flash hid it in her long, abundant 
hair. As she was without any other clothing 
than the belt of parrot's feathers, her hair was her 
only place of concealment. Magellan laughed 
heartily to himself, and let her go away thinking 
she had not been seen committing this little 
theft. Her anxiety to possess herself of the nail 
is explained by the great value the natives set on 
iron, which seemed much more precious to them 
than gold or silver. 



78 MAGELLAN. 




CHAPTER VI. 

THE MUTINY. 

AVING taken a long rest from his At- 
lantic voyage, and provided his ships with 
all things necessary, Magellan again set 
sail, skirting the South American coast, and 
keeping a keen look-out for any inlet that might 
betoken a passage around the continent. He was 
resolved to search the coast narrowly, so that 
no such passage, if it existed, should escape 
him ; and he therefore put in wherever a bay or 
river mouth appeared. After sailing for some days 
amid a warm and equable temperature, the fleet 
came to a wide inlet, which proved to be the 
mouth of a large river, some fifty miles wide 
where it entered the sea. This was what we 
now call the River de la Plata, upon whose 
banks stand, not far from the mouth, the flourish- 
ing cities of Buenos Ayres and Monte Video 



THE MUTINY. 79 

The ships readily anchored in the river mouth, 
and once more the adventurers landed upon the 
unfamiliar coast. Scarcely had they done so, be- 
fore they perceived that they were in the midst 
of a very different race from that they had en- 
countered at their first landing-place. These 
savages were outright cannibals, and made daily 
meals upon their captured enemies. They were, 
moreover, exceedingly tall, strongly-built men, 
who seemed to the Spaniards no less than giants. 

One of these men, evidently a chief, taller even 
than his companions, went fearlessly on board 
the flag-ship ; but while he was there, the other 
natives took everything they could carry from 
their huts, and hurried away over the hills. 
Magellan ordered a hundred of his men to land 
and pursue them ; but the natives were so agile, 
and took such enormous strides, that the pur- 
suit was in vain. 

On the pretty islands that studded the bay 
Magellan found some precious stones, which 
he took good care to store away, at the same 
time resolving on his return to search for 
more. 

Setting sail again, the ships presently came to 



80 MAGELLAN. 

two islands, just off the coast, where the crews 
went ashore, to procure some wild fowl which 
they saw on the strand. They were much aston- 
ished at some black geese they found, with beaks 
like crows, and which could not fly. They also 
succeeded in capturing many seals, which were 
not less strange to them, in color and shape, 
than the geese. During their stay at these 
islands, the ships were nearly destroyed by a 
mighty storm that swept over them ; but they 
were stout and well-manned, and succeeded in 
weathering it. 

After passing the Gulf of St. Mathias, and 
the bay of St. George, they reached a point 
which from the multitude of geese seen on the 
shore, Magellan named " Goose Harbor." No- 
where, as yet, had the gallant Admiral found a 
passage to the Pacific ; but his courage and hope- 
fulness were unabated, and he pressed vigorously 
on to the goal he was confident that, sooner 
or later, he should reach. He had now at least 
gone further south than any previous expedition 
had sailed ; he was nearer the Antarctic pole 
than any European had been ; and there was 
every reason for him to look forward cheerily to 



THE MUTINY. 8l 

the accomplishment of the great end he had in 
view. 

The southern winter, cold and blustering, had 
fairly set in, when one morning Magellan espied 
a large inviting bay, which seemed well sheltered 
from the bleak winds, and the shores of which 
had the appearance of affording a good supply of 
wood and water. Of these the ships were now sadly 
in want, for little had been found at Goose Har- 
bor, their last stopping-place. Moreover, the 
ships needed many repairs; nor could Magellan 
hope to pursue his.voyage successfully for some 
months to come. The crews were grumbling at 
hardships they were forced to suffer; and more 
than one of Magellan's captains betrayed open 
signs of discontent. 

The admiral therefore deemed it best to put 
in at the pleasant-looking bay, and if it proved 
as comfortable as it looked, to stay there until 
fairer winds blew, and the return of spring 
brought a softer temperature. 

The ships anchored in the bay, which Magel- 
lan, with the piety of his age and bringing-up, 
named St. Julian. It turned out an easy matter to 
land upon the sloping and still smiling shore, 



82 MAGELLAN. 

for winter was but fairly begun ; and the crews 
set to work to make themselves as snug as 
possible. 

Scarcely, however, had the fleet reached what 
seemed so secure a haven for their winter sojourn 
when an event occurred which at first threat- 
ened, not only the success of the expedition, 
but the very lives of Magellan and his friends. 

Of the captains commanding the ships in 
Magellan's fleet, three were Spaniards — Juan de 
Cartagena, Gaspar de Quesada, and Louis de 
Mendoza. Cartagena and Mendoza had been 
jealous, from the first, of the preference given 
by their king to Magellan, a Portuguese and a 
stranger, in putting him at the head of the ex- 
pedition; and throughout the voyage had in 
various ways betrayed their ill-temper and dis- 
content. Of the two, Juan de Cartagena, who 
was the second officer of the fleet, and com- 
manded the " San Antonio," nourished the fiercest 
hatred of Magellan. He was a large, dark- 
featured man, with a sour, malignant countenance, 
and he cherished the fixed idea that he, and not 
Magellan, should have been Admiral. From the 
first, he resolved on the earliest opportunity to 



THE MUTINY. 83 

raise the standard of revolt. Finding that Men- 
doza shared his ill-will towards Magellan, and was 
ready to enter into a plot against him, Cartagena 
held frequent conferences with Mendoza, when 
Magellan was engaged in other matters. While 
scouring the country around St. Julian, in the early 
days of their stay there, the treacherous captains 
found many occasions to meet and mature their 
project. They felt sure of being able to.secure the 
assistance of the sailors under their commands ; for 
most of these were Spaniards like themselves, 
imbued with a fierce jealousy of the Portu- 
guese ; and besides, the sailors had become very 
much discontented by their many hardships, and 
by the long delays in the voyage. 

It was not long before the plot was ripe for 
execution. Cartagena and Mendoza revealed 
it to the Spanish sailors on their ships, who 
readily agreed to aid in carrying it out. The 
first object was to secure Quesada, the captain of 
the " Conception," who, though a Spaniard, was 
suspected of being a staunch friend to Magellan. 
His ship lay next to the " San Antonio," which 
Cartagena commanded. Cartagena now resolved 
to man one of his boats with twenty men, fully 



84 MAGELLAN. 

armed, and to take advantage of a dark night to 
board the " Conception," seize Quesada, engage 
his sailors to take part in the mutiny, and with 
this accession of force to assault the flag-ship, the 
"Trinidad," itself. Magellan was then to be seized 
and killed on the spot ; the other ship, the " San- 
tiago," commanded by Magellan's cousin Serrano, 
was in like manner to be seized, and Cartagena 
would then assume command of the fleet. 

One black night, therefore, Cartagena exe- 
cuted his project to seize Quesada. This he suc- 
ceeded, with little difficulty, in doing.; but before 
he could pursue his plan further, Magellan got 
wind of what was going on. Early the next morn- 
ing, he sent a boat to the two revolted ships, with 
the message that they should be beached and 
careened. When the boat arrived alongside the 
" San Antonio," the sailors found the guns of the 
ship pointed at them ; and one of the lieutenants 
shouted out harshly, and demanded to know 
what they wanted. 

"The Admiral commands you to beach and 
careen your ship," was the reply. " We obey no 
orders," retorted the lieutenant, " but those of 
Juan de Cartagena, the true Admiral of the fleet." 



THE MUTINY . 85 

The sailors rowed back in all haste to Magel- 
lan's ship. He now saw that there was open 
mutiny against him, and that it was necessary to 
take prompt and stern measures to repress it. 
Calling Fernandes, his chief constable, he told 
him to man the boat, proceed without delay to 
Mendoza's ship, and, if possible, take him pris- 
oner. Six well-armed, stalwart men accompanied 
Fernandes on this hazardous venture. When the 
boat came alongside the " Victoria," Mendoza's 
ship, Fernandes called to Mendoza, and asked 
permission to board the ship. But this the cap- 
tain refused to allow him to do. 

" Surely," replied Fernandes, "you are not 
afraid of one man, bringing a letter to you." 

Mendoza consulted a moment with his officers, 
and then bade Fernandes come on board. 

No sooner had the constable leaped upon the 
deck, than he grasped Mendoza tightly in his 
arms, crying, " In the name of the king you 
are arrested !" 

Before Mendoza's men could recover from 
their surprise, Fernandes's companions had rushed 
upon the deck with their swords drawn. They 
fell upon those who showed signs of resisting 



86 MAGELLAN. 

them; and soon several corpses lay weltering 
in their blood on the deck. In a few minutes, 
the brave fellows had subdued all resistance, and 
were in complete possession of the ship. Fer- 
nandes still held the unfortunate captain by the 
throat. Fiercely addressing him, at the same 
time shaking the breath out of him, the constable 
cried : 

" You traitor, you shall die !" 

Throwing Mendoza on the deck, he held 
him down with his knees, and drawing a huge 
dagger from his belt, plunged it deep into Men- 
doza's throat. The captain writhed in anguish, 
and in another moment lay stark dead upon his 
deck. 

Magellan observed the success of Fernandes's 
stratagem from the deck of the flag-ship. He 
now ordered the " Trinidad" to drop down along- 
side the " Victoria;" he put his men underarms, 
and had his cannon loaded and aimed ; and was 
soon able to pass from one deck to the other. 
He found that Fernandes and his men had 
already secured and bound the rebellious 
sailors ; and having made a strict but rapid in- 
quiry into the mutiny, he commanded six of 



* THE MUTINY. 87 

the chief offenders to be brought out and hung, 
without mercy, at the yard-arms. Then he caused 
Mendoza's body to be hoisted by the feet on 
one of the masts, so that it might be distinctly 
seen by the crews on the other ships. 

It remained to overcome the chief conspira- 
tor, who, with a strong force, held out on the 
" San Antonio." Magellan knew that he was still 
surrounded by Spaniards, who might be his 
enemies ; and suspected that Cartagena's force 
might be too strong for him, if he assailed him 
directly. He therefore resorted to a shrewd 
stratagem. 

Calling aside one of the sailors, upon whom, 
though he was a Spaniard, Magellan knew he 
could rely, he told him to take a boat, and row 
in all haste to the " San Antonio," as if he were 
escaping ; and when he reached the ship, to beg 
to be taken on board as a fugitive. 

The sailor promptly undertook the task ; shot 
out from the " Victoria" in a skiff, and was soon 
seen by Magellan clambering up the side of the 
" San Antonio." When night came on, the sailor 
quietly cut the cables, so that the " San Antonio" 
drifted directly down upon the " Victoria." As 



88 MAGELLAN. 

soon as it floated alongside, Magellan, shouted 
out, "Treason, treason !" leaped on board with 
his men, fiercely attacked Cartagena and the 
mutineers, and in a short time had made prison- 
ers of all who were not killed in the fray. 

The crew thus quelled, Magellan hastened to 
set free Quesada and Mesquita, whom Cartagena 
had loaded with irons, and shut up in his hold. 
To his brother-in-law, Edward Barbosa, who had 
come with him, he confided the command of the 
"Victoria;" while he made his faithful friend, 
Mesquita, captain of the " San Antonio." 

One ship, the " Conception," (the captain of 
which was Quesada), still remained in rebellion ; 
but this, on seeing the others in the hands of 
Magellan, surrendered at discretion without a 
struggle. Thus the gallant Admiral, by boldly 
attacking his enemies as soon as he discovered 
their plot against him, achieved a prompt and 
complete victory. 

Magellan was not naturally stern or relentless. 
He was never known to be guilty of an act of 
wanton cruelty. But he now saw that self-pre- 
servation, as well as the success of the expedi- 
tion, demanded that his prisoners, especially the 



THE MUTINY. 89 

ringleaders in the mutiny, should be treated with 
the greatest severity. The punishment for mu« 
tiny in his days, as it is now, was death. To al- 
low Cartagena and his confederates to live, would 
be to encourage a repetition of the revolt. 

Calling the rebellious captain before him, there- 
fore, on the deck of the "Victoria," Magellan 
coldly addressed him as follows: 

" Juan de Cartagena, you have been guilty of 
an unpardonable crime. You have never had 
any provocation from me, to seek my life. My 
chief fault in your eyes is that I am a Portu- 
guese, and not a Spaniard ; but you well know 
that the sovereign of Spain hath entrusted me $ 
with the command of this fleet, and hath given 
me all power to direct its course. You have 
defied and rebelled against the king, in assuming 
to declare yourself its commander ; and you have 
sought to gain this by bloodshed and murder. 
Cartagena, you deserve no pity. Prepare to die. 
You are to be shot and quartered, and your body 
shall be fixed to a stake, set up on this strange 
shore." 

Cartagena hung his head in sullen silence, 
turning deadly pale, and clenching his hands, 



90 MAGELLAN. 

when his doom was pronounced. Magellan turned 
to two soldiers, and waved his hand. The mis- 
erable captain was seized and dragged to the 
forward part of the deck ; and presently fell, 
shot through the heart. 

Both his body and that of Mendoza were then 
quartered, and, as the admiral had directed, set 
upon stakes, on the shore. 

The rest of the mutineers were kept in irons, 
except at such times as the ships needed pump- 
ing, when they were brought out, and, under 
guard, were set to the pumps. 

Magellan, however, was not disposed to be too 
, severe with the misguided wretches, who had been 
led into their crime by their captains. Soon 
after he released several of them, and put them 
on shore ; telling them to explore the coast 
southward, to ascend any headland they might 
reach, and see if they could not espy the ocean 
on the other side. The mutineers, only too glad 
to recover their liberty, readily promised to obey 
his orders ; and started off down the shore with 
brisk and lusty strides. . 

They remained away several days ; and then 
returned, footsore and weary, to tell Magellan 



THE MUTINY. 91 

that they had not succeeded in making the 
desired discovery. 

Order and submission were now restored 
throughout the fleet. The Spaniards, quite 
awed by the terrible fate of Cartagena and 
Mendoza, no longer thought of defying Magel- 
lan's authority ; and the Portuguese ceased to 
harbor any ill-will against their mutinous com- 
rades. Only one of the ships, the "Conception," 
was now under the command of a Spaniard; 
this was Quesada, whom Magellan fully trusted 
as his friend. 



92 MAGELLAN. 




CHAPTER VII. 

ADVENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. 

HE adventurers were amazed that, as at 
their first landing-place on the South 
American coast, they did not see signs 
of any human beings or habitations at St. Julian. 

The country round about seemed desolate and 
deserted. They began to think that it had no 
population whatever, but was abandoned to wild 
beasts and wild fowl. For two long months 
they searched the neighborhood in vain for some 
vestiges of human life ; but none appeared. 

At last, however, they were undeceived in this 
respect. One day, a gigantic figure suddenly 
appeared on a hill-top very near the bay ; he was 
entirely naked, with short, bristling white hair, 
and a fierce, swarthy face. 

As soon as this man saw the sailors staring at 
him in wonder, he began to leap wildly up and 



ADVENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. 93 

down, waving his arms about, and singing, or 
rather howling, some strange song in a stentorian 
voice. Every now and then he would bend 
down and grasp a handful of dirt, and sprinkle it 
on his great, bullet-shaped head, at the same time 
making a hideous grimace. Magellan was then 
sojourning on one of the islands that studded the 
bay. On being told of the strange apparition on 
the hill, he called one of the sailors, told him to 
go ashore and approach the big native, and to 
dance about and sing as he went up to him, so 
that the native might see that his intentions were 
friendly. 

The sailor did as he was bidden. He went 
leaping and shouting up the hill, to the great 
amusement of his brother sailors, who were look- 
ing on. The native, too, gazed hard at him ; but 
soon recovering from his fright at seeing a white 
man drawing near, he strode towards the sailor, 
and began to caper around him. The sailor at 
last persuaded him to go in a boat to Magellan's 
quarters. 

On coming into the Admiral's presence, and 
seeing so many strange faces and dresses about 
him, the gigantic savage grew timid ; and with 



94 MAGELLAN. 

an expression of awe on his dark face, pointed to 
the sky, to intimate that he thought the Span- 
iards had come from heaven. 

Meanwhile, Magellan observed him with curi- 
ous interest. He saw that the savage's cheeks 
were painted with red hearts, and that around his 
eyes were yellow circles. His hair, it appeared, 
was painted white, and on his arm he carried a 
a shaggy skin ; while in one hand was a heavy 
bow, and some arrows, made of cane, feathered 
at one end, and with points of black cut stones 
at the other. 

Magellan, anxious to make friends with the 
natives in this lonely place, where he must yet 
sojourn many weeks, regaled the giant with food 
and drink ; and when 'he had had his fill, Magel- 
lan caused a mirror to be brought and set before 
him. As soon as the giant saw himself in the 
glass, he gave a loud cry, and leaped back so 
suddenly and with such force that he sent three 
or four of the sailors sprawling on the ground. 
He soon recovered from his fright, however, and 
laughed with a deafening voice. He was as 
pleased as a child with several trinkets which 
Magellan offered him — two tinkling bells, which 



AVDENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. 95 

he held close to his ear, a comb, which he very 
quickly saw how to use, and a chaplet of beads, 
which he tried to bite, making many grimaces, 
and then hung around his neck. Magellan then 
sent the giant ashore with four armed men ; 
these the giant at once conducted to a group of 
his countrymen, who had gathered on the hill- 
top, and were one and all naked, and as tall as 
himself. They received the four Spainards with 
singing and jumping, meanwhile pointing to the 
heavens in the same manner as the first comer 
had done. 

Pretty soon some of the native women made 
their appearance. They wore shaggy skins about 
their waists, and their faces, painted in many 
colors, were hideous. While not as tall as the 
men, they were 'much larger than European 
women. 

The four Spaniards returned to the fleet, tak- 
ing with them several of the chiefs, and recount- 
ing all that they had seen. Magellan gave the 
chiefs some bells, and some pictures painted on 
paper, which seemed greatly to delight them ; for 
they began to sing in hoarse, loud voices, and to 
caper wildly about on the shore. Then suddenly 



g6 MAGELLAN. 

one of them, taking a long arrow from his belt, 
thrust it far down his throat, and drawing it out 
again, made a sign, as if to say, " Was not that a 
wonderful feat?" 

So pleased were the chiefs with the strangers, 
that they begged Magellan to send some of his 
men back with them, that they might see their 
habitations in the woods. Magellan readily con- 
sented to this, and ordered seven armed men to 
accompany his sable guests back to the shore. 

The chiefs led the way, and after crossing the 
hills near the shore, plunged into a dense and track- 
less forest, so tangled and overgrown that, though 
the natives passed through nimbly enough, the 
Spaniards were continually stumbling and falling 
down. Meanwhile, they watched their guides 
narrowly, ready to shoot them at the first sign 
of perfidy. 

After scrambling through the thicket for seven 
miles, they came to an opening ; and here they 
saw a long, low hut, roofed with the thick, shaggy 
skins of wild beasts. This hut they found di- 
vided, by a curtain of skins, into two compart- 
ments, one of which was occupied by the men, 
and the other by the women and children. In all 



. ADVENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. 97 

there were thirteen women and children, and five 
men ; and these eagerly welcomed the Spaniards, 
and regaled them with a roasted sheep, which 
they slaughtered for the purpose. 

The Spaniards were persuaded to remain one 
night at the hut ; and were offered a snug cor- 
ner, with skins for coverings. The natives slept 
in the other corners ; and so horribly did they 
snore, that their guests got but little sleep during 
the night. 

The next day, the Spaniards invited the chiefs 
to return to the. ships, with their families. At 
first they declined the invitation ; but finally re- 
tired into the women's apartment, as if to bring 
them out to go. Presently they emerged again, 
their gigantic forms completely covered with 
heavy skins, their faces painted so as to give 
them a terrible aspect, and holding in their 
hands bows and a quantity of arrows. 

Their appearance so terrified one of the Span- 
iards, that on the impulse of the moment he 
raised his gun and fired. To the astonishment 
of his companions, the report of the gun, instead 
of arousing the anger of the natives, made them 
tremble and lift up their arms, as if they im- 



98 MAGELLAN. 

agined the noise to proceed from heaven. They 
were evidently persuaded of this, for they now 
very meekly followed the "Spaniards towards the 
ships ; but they did not allow their women to go. 
As they were passing through the forest, the na- 
tives were so much more fleet of foot that they 
soon outstripped the others, and all of a sudden, 
disappeared among the trees. The Spaniards 
searched for them in vain, and were finally 
obliged to return to the ships without them. 
On going with a strong force, a few days after, 
to the opening where the hut was, they found it 
quite deserted. The natives, with their families, 
had fled in all haste. 

It was not long, however, before they had 
other visitors of gigantic stature and swarthy 
hue. One day, another big fellow, armed with 
bow and arrows, and painted as the rest had 
been, came up to some of the sailors, who were 
busily cutting wood on the shore. Ke approached 
them slowly, touching his head and breast 
with his fingers, and then pointing heavenward. 
He was a good-natured, smiling giant, and full of 
lively spirits ; and was easily persuaded to accom- 
pany the sailors to Magellan. 



ADVENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. 99 

The Admiral, pleased to see by this that the na- 
tives had not become hostile, cordially greeted 
him, gave him a cloth tunic, a pair of breeches, 
a cap, a comb, and some bells, and treated him 
to such food as there was at the camp. The na- 
tive seemed very willing to remain with his new 
friends ; and Magellan gave him a lodging in a 
hut on the island where he himself had his 
quarters. 

After a time, the giant not only learned to speak 
Spanish very well, but was persuaded by one of 
the priests to become a Christian. He was bap- 
tized, and received the name of John. He often 
went ashore, and brought back animals, which 
served as excellent provisions for the Spaniards. 

From this native, and others that he from time 
to time brought to the camp, Magellan learned 
a great deal about the tribes that inhabited the 
inland country. They had, it appeared, many 
strange customs. When one was sick, instead of 
taking medicine, he thrust an arrow down his 
throat ; and this proved a very effectual emetic. 
When they were tortured with the headache, 
they cut themselves across the forehead, legs, and 
arms, which was their very simple way of bleed- 



IOO MAGELLAN. 

ing themselves. They all wore their hair cropped 
close ; and when they went hunting, they tied a 
cord around their heads, and upon this hung 
their arrows." They were a wandering people, 
living in one place but a short time, and then 
changing their abode. They lived, for the most 
part, on raw meat, and a sweet root which they 
called " capac." The sailors were amazed to see 
some of their swarthy guests skin rats and eat 
them raw ; one of them would eat an enormous 
quantity of biscuits, and seemed to drink water 
by the quart. One striking thing about them was 
their exceeding swiftness of foot ; and they seemed 
to run as rapidly in a dense, entangled for- 
est, as upon the smooth, yielding sand of the 
seashore. 

The idea occurred to Magellan that it might 
be useful to him in the future, if he could man- 
age to keep one or two of these natives, and 
carry them with him on the rest of his voyage. 
They might act as interpreters with the savage 
races further south ; and might point out the 
favorable places for anchorage, and the shoals 
and reefs to be avoided. 

With this view he enticed two of the younger 



ADVENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. IOI 

and more comely and intelligent savages onboard 
the flag-ship, and made them happy by profuse 
gifts. Among these were glittering steel knives, 
forks, small round mirrors, bells, and various 
articles of glass ; which the big fellows received 
with the liveliest and roughest demonstrations of 
joy. Then he had some irons, with which cap- 
tains were accustomed to confine rebellious sail- 
ors, brought out. These were shown to the na- 
tives, who examined them with the keenest 
curiosity. After they had played with them, 
Magellan showed them how to fasten the irons 
on their feet ; but, no sooner had they found 
themselves securely bound about the ankles, than 
they fell in a great rage, and roared and foamed 
at the mouth like two bulls, and called upon their 
god, Setebos, to rescue them. They fell on the 
deck, and writhed about, as if trying to escape, 

Meanwhile, some of the other natives, who had 
come with them on board, went ashore, and told 
the men and women what had happened ; where- 
upon all the women made haste to run into the 
woods; while the men gathered on the shore, and 
began firing arrows at the flag-ship. One of the 
sailors fell mortally wounded. Magellan ordered 



102 MAGELLAN. 

his men to answer the attack with their guns; 
which so frightened the giants on shore, that 
they made all haste to follow their wives into 
the woods. 

From this time, the Spaniards saw no more of 
this race of giants, for on scouring the country 
they could find no trace of them. So the sailors 
burned their huts, and brought such provisions 
as they found in them to the ships. The two na- 
tives who had been put in irons were carefully 
guarded ; for Magellan had learned by this time 
how agile and cunning these gigantic fellows 
were ; and was resolved to keep these two with 
him. After awhile, they seemed to become rec- 
onciled to their lot. They were brought on 
deck, and the sailors taught them a little Span- 
ish ; so that they were soon able to make them- 
selves understood. When they had recovered 
from their anger and their fright, they became 
very merry and chatty, and apparently forgot 
all about their countrymen, and even their 
wives, whom, at first, they had bewailed very 
piteously. Each ate enough for two men, and 
drank astonishing quantities of water ; and, on 
being provided with seamen's suits, they learned 



"ADVENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. IO3 

to prefer this costume to their original nakedness. 
Magellan was greatly pleased to see how quickly 
and readily they became reconciled to their lot. 

Weeks and months glided quickly by in this 
pleasant bay of St. Julian. The weather was, at 
times, severe ; and had the ships not found a very 
safe anchorage, under the lee of the islands that 
studded the bay, they would have been in seri- 
ous peril from the terrible tempests of wind and 
hail that swept over them. In time, however, the 
bleak season gradually passed away ; and nature 
began to put on the fresh, light-green tints of 
spring. As the vegetation gradually appeared 
and grew, Magellan saw that he was indeed in a 
lovely country, endowed with many natural 
beauties, prolific in fruits and vegetables, and 
blessed with a delightful temperature. 

It was time, however, to think of resuming the 
voyage. There seemed no further obstacle to 
the progress southward of the ships. They had 
been fully repaired by the carpenters Magellan 
had taken care to bring with him ; had been newly 
caulked, their sails patched and mended, the 
holds thoroughly scoured and cleaned, and all 
things about them set to rights. Provisions in 



104 MAGELLAN 

abundance had been secured by the good-will 
of the natives, who had been very willing to ex- 
change meat and other food, the products of the 
country, for the trinkets which Magellan freely 
lavished upon them. Good water, too, had been 
found in the near vicinity of the bay, so that 
everything seemed provided for a comfortable 
voyage further down the coast. 

Before setting sail, however, Magellan deemed 
, it wise that one of the ships should be sent for- 
ward, to explore the coast at a little distance 
southward ; and accordingly told Serrano, who 
commanded the " Santiago,'' the smallest vessel 
of the fleet, to set sail on this errand. It hap- 
pened that after Serrano got outside the bay, a 
current seized his ship, and swept it so rapidly 
forward that it could not be steered ; and before 
he knew it, the " Santiago" grounded upon some 
rocks. There was not a moment to be lost. 
The ship was hopelessly wrecked, and all that 
the crew could to do was to save themselves, 
and such of the provisions as they could quickly 
lay their hands on. Fortunately the boats proved 
uninjured. They were launched Avithout delay, 
and every man on board was rescued. 



ADVENTURES WITH THE GIANTS. 105 

The boats made all haste to return to the fleet. 
The news of the loss of the " Santiago" was very, 
unwelcome to Magellan ; for, though she was the 
smallest of his vessels, he could ill spare her from 
the fleet. 

He resolved to delay no longer his departure 
from St. Julian. It was now late in August ; the 
time for a favorable voyage was fast gliding by, 
and there was no further reason for delay. One 
fine, warm morning, therefore, he gave his orders ; 
the " Trinidad," the Admiral's flag flying at her 
mast-head, floated smoothly out of the bay which 
had so well sheltered them, and where so many 
stirring events had taken place ; and the three 
remaining ships, with full sails on, followed 
closely in her wake. 



106 MAGELLAN. 




CHAPTER VIII. 

MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. 

T first the voyage southward was pursued 
under fair winds, and with soft breezes 
that wafted the ships swiftly over the 
waters. They had not proceeded for many days, 
when they came in sight of a promontory which 
jutted far out into the sea. Scarcely had they 
got opposite to it, when a terrific tempest burst 
upon them. The ships creaked, shook, and 
strained ; some of the masts were carried away, 
and some of the sails were torn to shreds, as if 
ripped by unseen giant hands ; and for several 
days it was an even chance whether the little fleet 
should founder or weather the storm. One of them 
came very near being dashed upon the grim 
and frowning promontory; another sprang a 
leak, and the men were forced to work desper- 
ately at the pumps night and day ; a third narrowly 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. IO7 

escaped being driven out to sea, and thus part 
ing company with the rest. 

At last, the fleet was able to find shelter be- 
low the promontory, in a little bay ; and now 
Magellan named the promontory Santa Cruz, 
(or, the Promontory of the Holy Cross.) 

Here the sailors once more grew clamorous to 
return to Spain. They were worn and weary 
with the voyage; they despaired of a successful 
ending of the expedition ; and they loudly de- 
manded, even before the Admiral himself, that 
the prows of the ships should be turned home- 
ward. 

But Magellan was not to be terrified into re- 
treating. He sternly told his men to hold their 
peace and trust in him. 

" I shall go on," he said, " even till we reach 
the ice-seas of the southern pole. The land of 
this continent must end somewhere; and when 
we reach this limit, we shall have achieved our 
end. We have still food, water, and clothing, 
and goodly ships. Why, then, should we des- 
pair?" 

The confidence and courage of their com- 
mander restored the sailors to submission, and 



108 MAGELLAN. 

they finally returned, without further complaint, 
to their tasks. 

1 The voyagers only remained at Santa Cruz long 
enough to repair the damage which the storm 
had done to the fleet. Once more the flag-ship 
set forth, and the others followed, and favoring 
breezes carried them rapidly forward. 

Magellan little thought, when he rose on the 
sunny morning of October 21st, 1520, that he 
was near the object most dear to his heart. 
It was the day consecrated to the eleven 
thousand virgins; and on all festival days of the 
Church, Magellan was, wont to ordain a religious 
ceremony on the ships. On rising, therefore, he 
took care to attire himself in his finest suit, with 
velvet doublet, plumed cap, and jewelled sword; 
he little knew that he was habiting himself to 
witness the chief event of his life. 

As he had proceeded along the coast, he had been 
blindly groping for a passage which he could 
only guess existed, but of which he had no positive 
knowledge whatever. He knew not what a day 
might bring forth ; he was all in the dark as to 
the distance he had to go ; and he had now be- 
come used to seeing the daygo"by,and the night 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. IO9 

close in, without having made the great dis- 
covery. 

When he emerged from his cabin, and stood 
upon the deck, the officers and crews, in their 
best apparel, were already assembled. Two 
priests had set up a little altar on the poop, and 
were standing, arrayed in their sacred robes, 
ready to perform the mass. The Admiral took 
his place in front of -the rest ; and as the good 
ship sped on, the voices of the priests mingled 
with the splash of the waters and the flapping of 
the sails, in the performance of their solemn rite. 

Scarcely was mass concluded, when one of the 
sailors, perched on the look-out forward, cried out 
loudly that a long cape was in sight. Magellan 
walked to the side of the ship, and gazed in the 
direction in which the sailor pointed. There, in- 
deed, was a jutting cape, beyond which nothing 
could be seen. 

Pretty soon the fleet was off the point. On 
rounding it, Magellan's heart leaped within him 
to perceive that there was a broad inlet, running 
in a southwesterly direction ; and that, while the 
land was plainly visible on its southern side, its 
limit inland could not be discerned. Naming 



I IO MAGELLAN. 

the cape the Cape of Virgins, he gave orders that 
the fleet should boldly enter the inlet, and en- 
deavor to find out whither it led. 

The aspect of the shores, and of the inlet 
itself, was very remarkable. Lofty mountains, 
snow-shrouded, loomed on both shores. These 
shores were jagged and uneven, many lesser 
inlets running from the larger one far into the 
land, and craggy islands seeming in several places 
to completely choke up the channel ; here and 
there were patches of green forests, but the gen- 
eral appearance of the place was desolate and for- 
bidding. 

The ships advanced carefully, for on every side 
the jutting reefs and piled-up breakers threat- 
ened destruction. As the flag-ship progressed, 
Magellan anxiously watched the channel ahead, 
fearing every moment lest it should come to an 
end, and once more dash his hopes of a passage. 
At last they came to a round bay, sheltered 
on every side by lofty masses of rock. It 
was now nearly dark ; the fleet could not pursue 
its course much further, amid so many perils; 
and Magellan gave the order to anchor in the 
bay. 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRATTS. Ill 

So favorable for a sojourning place and point 
of departure did this bay appear to Magellan, 
when he rose next morning, that he resolved to 
remain in it, with the flag-ship, while he sent two 
of the other ships to explore the channel further 
on, and see if they could not find the outlet. 
Accordingly, calling Mescmita and Serrano, the 
captains of the "San Antonio," and the " Con- 
ception," he told them to set out, without delay, 
on this dangerous and difficult errand. 

They had scarcely disappeared among the 
islands, before a storm arose, so fierce that the 
two ships that remained in the bay were forced 
to weigh their anchors, and be tossed to and fro 
violently at the will of the winds. This con- 
tinued all night, and for the greater part of the 
next day; when at last the tempest subsided, 
without having seriously damaged the ships. 

Meanwhile, no signs appeared of the two ves- 
sels that had gone forward to explore the chan- 
nel ; and for a time Magellan much feared that 
they had foundered in the storm. After several 
days, however, he was relieved by seeing them 
speeding rapidly towards the bay, and what filled 
his heart with good cheer, with their flags and 



112 ' MAGELLAN. 

streamers flying gaily from their mast-heads. 
They were soon alongside the flag-ship; and 
Mesquita, hastening on board, eagerly advanced 
to Magellan, and fell at his feet. 

" Praise be to God, admiral," cried he, when he 
could recover his breath so as to speak, " we have 
found the outlet!" 

Magellan, with flushed face, his whole body 
trembling with excitement and emotion, raised 
the faithful captain from the deck, and clasping 
him about the neck, burst into tears of joy. 

" Is it indeed true?" he said, with faltering 
voice. " And have you seen the other ocean — 
the western ocean beyond ?" 

" We have indeed seen it, with these very 
eyes," replied Mesquita. " We came near perish- 
ing in the storm ; but we kept on, and we have 
succeeded." 

Magellan turned to Serrano, who had now 
come on board from the " Conception," and the 
other officers, and tenderly embraced them. Then 
in exultant tones, he spoke. 

" My comrades, at last we have triumphed ! 
Our perils have been great, our trials and hard- 
ships sore and many. But the reward of all has 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. I 1 3 

come. The passage that conducts from the At- 
lantic to the further ocean, that affords the near- 
est way from Spain to the precious isles of the 
Moluccas, is found ! It is just before us ; we 
shall pass through it, if God pleases to still pro- 
tect us, and shall sail into the ocean beyond. We 
shall make other discoveries; find wealth and 
fame for ourselves, and dominion for our mon- 
arch! Captains, repair to your ships; assemble 
your crews, and tell them the good tidings ; let 
your cannon awake deafening echoes among 
these crags ; float the royal standard and ensigns 
of Spain from your mast-heads ; array your decks 
with streamers and ribbons ; let wine and meat 
in plenty be set forth ; and render thanks to 
God for conducting us to this great discovery !" 
The admiral's orders were obeyed with a will. 
Ere long the four ships, riding at anchor in the 
bay, side-by-side, put on an air of festivity and 
good cheer. The sailors crowded the decks, 
singing and capering, embracing each other, and 
every now and then breaking out into hoarse and 
lusty cheers. The cannon boomed with quick 
succeeding volleys, their voices of thunder re- 
sounding from point to point; the flags waved 



114 MAGELLAN. 

with joyous fluttering in the fresh breeze; and 
then followed a bounteous feast on each deck, of 
which officers and men partook together. 

The religious thanksgiving for the discovery- 
was not forgotten. The remains of the feast 
were cleaned away ; instead of the tables, altars 
arose on the decks ; and the priests, with deep- 
toned voices, chanted the song of triumph which 
their church ordained. , 

When he had grown somewhat calmer, Magel- 
lan took the two captains, Mesquita and Serrano, 
into his cabin, and asked them to relate the par- 
ticulars of their adventures. 

" At first," said Mesquita, " we met with head- 
winds, which would not allow us to weather the 
cape at the end of the bay ; and we attempted to 
turn round, and come back to the other ships. 
In making this attempt, we were very near being 
stranded upon the shore. Every moment we 
feared that we should be lost ; meanwhile, the 
tempest carried us gradually toward the head of 
the cape, which we finally reached. It seemed 
to us that the inlet ended there ; and on round- 
ing the cape, we were surprised to see a small 
mouth, or corner of the inlet. We sailed for this, 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. 1 1 5 

in the hope of sheltering ourselves from the 
storm. On approaching nearer, we found that 
this led into another bay, which we forthwith en- 
tered. Crossing this bay we reached another 
narrow channel, through which we sailed, until 
we came to still a third bay, larger than either 
of the others ; thence we passed into a third 
strait, from which we could plainly discover the 
boundless ocean itself. Lying there over-night, 
we returned to-day, to impart to you and our 
comrades the glorious news we brought." 

The weather was fair, and seemed settled ; and 
Magellan was eager to follow in the route that 
the " Conception" and the " San Antonio" had 
pursued. He therefore ordered the whole fleet 
to set sail, and advance through the channel. In 
no long time the ships had entered the last strait 
described by Mesquita ; and all the adventurers 
now caught a glimpse, in the far and dim dis- 
tance, of the white-crested billows of the further 
ocean. They then anchored off a cape that jutted 
into the strait, which Magellan named Cape 
Forward. 

But Magellan found that, once here, he had by 
no means found an easy passage through. The 



Il6 MAGELLAN. 

channel seemed to divide into two, and to present 
two branches, one to the southeast, the other to 
the southwest. Which should betaken? Without 
doubt, one of them led to the ocean; the other 
probably found its termination in a bay; nor 
Could he decide, from the point where he then 
was, which to attempt. 

He therefore resolved to again send out the 
two ships, the " Conception" and the " San An- 
tonio," to explore the two channels, and to report 
to him their discoveries. Before doing so, how- 
ever, Magellan called together his officers and 
principal men, and said to them : 

" We have, no doubt, discovered the passage 
from the Atlantic to the further seas. Ere very 
long our ships will ride* the waters of the sea be- 
yond. It remains to decide whether we shall 
push further forward, and seek the Moluccas ; or 
return with our good news to Spain. We have 
only provisions for three months ; the voyage to 
the islands must be very long and tedious; we 
may have to undergo stern trials, severe priva- 
tions. On the other hand, if we succeed in reach- 
ing the Moluccas, vast riches await us there. 
We shall gain dominion for the king, and receive 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. WJ 

yet greater fame and honor in Spain, when at 
last we seek the hospitable shores of home. I 
ask you, comrades, for your voices , Which shall 
we do?" 

A loud shout promptly answered the Admirals 
question. 

" Let us go on !" was the eager response of Ma- 
gellan's companions. 

One, however, Gomez, the pilot of the " San 
Antonio," did not join in the cry. When silence 
was restored, he spoke boldly in favor of return- 
ing to Spain. 

" Our fleet," he said, " is worn with so much 
sailing. The ships are out of repair, and little 
able to withstand the storms of unknown seas. We 
have already lost one of them by shipwreck. Let 
us go back, and return next year with a new and 
larger fleet." 

" Enough of this!" retorted Magellan, angrily. 
"We will go on, even if Ave have to eat the 
leather off the ship's yards !" 

The " Conception" and the " San Antonio" 
started off on their errand of exploration ; sev- 
eral days elapsed, but they did not return. Ma- 
gellan feared that they were lost. He was too 



Il8 MAGELLAN. 

impatient to wait for them, however, and one 
day he set sail, with the two ships that remained, 
through the strait that led south westward. This, 
on reflection, seemed most likely to lead to the 
open sea. 

On their way they passed through a wide 
river, which, from the number of little fishes they 
found in it, Magellan named the River of Sar- 
dines. Anchoring in this river, he sent out two 
of the long-boats, well supplied with men and 
provisions, to reconnoitre the further end of the 
river. The boats returned after three days, 
with the intelligence that the river led to the sea, 
the shores of which they had touched. 

As the "Trinidad" (the flag-ship) and the 
"Victoria" were advancing through the river, to 
Magellan's delight the " Conception," which he 
had given up for lost, suddenly appeared in view. 
She soon came alongside, and Serrano, the captain, 
told Magellan that he had got lost in the straits 
and among the islands. He had seen nothing of 
the " San Antonio" since he parted from her. 
Magellan accordingly sent back the "Victoria" 
to the entrance of the passage in search of her; 
and told the captain, if he did not find the mis- 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS H9 

sing vessel, to hoist a flag on the summit of a 
hill, and place a letter in a jar at the foot of the 
flag-pole ; so that if the " San Antonio" saw the 
flag, its officers might learn by the letter, what 
course the fleet was holding. 

The " Victoria" returned to the entrance, but 
saw no sign of the "San Antonio." The captain 
raised the flag, and deposited the letter, as he 
had been directed ; and placed another flag and 
letter on a little island at the mouth of the 
strait. 

What had really become of the " San Antonio," 
may be related here. The pilot, Gomez, who had 
urged Magellan to return to Spain, was indignant 
at the stern response he had received. He was 
one of those Spaniards who had all along been 
jealous of the Admiral; and, as it happened, 
most of the sailors who went in the " San An- 
tonio" had the same vindictive feeling. 

When, therefore, the " San Antonio" had got 
well out of sight of the fleet, and night had come 
on, Gomez incited the crew to mutiny. They 
seized Mesquita, the captain, Magellan's faithful 
friend, wounded him, put him in irons, and im- 
prisoned him in his cabin. Then Gomez took 



120 MAGELLAN. 

command of the ship, sailed back through the 
strait, and at once put to sea on his way to 
Spain. On his arrival there, he everywhere 
spread the report that Magellan's expedition 
had miserably failed, and that the other ships 
had been lost ; and this was believed there for 
many months. 

The three other ships, the " Trinidad/' " Con- 
ception," and " Victoria," soon reached the 
mouth of the River of Sardines. At the point 
where it flowed into the ocean appeared a hilly 
cape,_ stretching out into the water. This Ma- 
gellan called Cape Desire, because, he said, this 
was a place he had long desired. As he saw be- 
yond the jutting cliffs, the long sweep of billows, 
the boundless expanse of waters, his eyes filled 
with tears of joy, and he lifted his hands heaven- 
ward in mute thanksgiving to God, that at last 
his eyes were permitted to behold the ocean he 
had sought. Once more the cannon awoke the 
echoes of the lofty and forbidding shores, and 
once more the priests chanted their praises to 
the beneficent Creator. 

Near Cape Desire the ships found a good har- 
bor, where they could easily cast anchor, and 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. 121 

where the crews could go ashore. On the high 
hills which, in this place, rose for a long distance 
from near the water's edge, and which terminated 
in towering, snow-crested mountains, they formed 
vast cedar forests, and plenty of pure spring 
water. They caught many fish, too, among them 
a fish that so much resembled sardines that they 
called them by that name ; and they found a 
sweet and succulent herb, which was similar to 
celery in taste and appearance. This grew in 
damp places, near the springs. 

The prospect in every direction was very striking 
and picturesque. The crags and foaming gulfs of 
the straits, the lofty mountains, the rich green for- 
ests of cedar, the luxuriant herbage, and the limit- 
less ocean, formed a scene which deeply impressed 
itself on the minds of the weary wanderers. 

The adventurers greatly enjoyed their stay at 
Cape Desire. Their trials were forgotten* amid 
the attractions of their resting place; the 
weather was growing cooler, but was not yet 
bleak; sea and land afforded an abundance of 
fresh provisions; and the Admiral allowed his 
crews, while on shore, the largest liberty. They 
wandered among the odorous forests, and roamed 



122 MAGELLAN. 

over the hills, and some even ventured to climb 
one of the mountains, until they found themselves 
up to the waist in snow. 

The natives of the region were very much like 
those whom they had seen on the other side of 
the straits ; only they seemed brighter and more 
intelligent, and had a* language which they spoke 
rapidly, with a guttural accent that amused the 
sailors very much. The latter soon learned 
enough of this strange jargon to talk a little with 
the natives, who, after they once became accus- 
tomed to the Europeans (the like of whom they 
had never before seen), were very good-natured 
and sociable. They were of gigantic stature, and 
made their faces hideous, by painting and branding 
them. They brought provisions to the ships, and 
were greatly delighted with the beads, buttons, 
little bells, and so on, with which Magellan re- 
warded them. 

These natives lived for the most part on a 
juicy root which grew in great abundance in 
the marshy places, and which they cooked 
after a rude fashion. They had a way of rub- 
bing sticks together very rapidly, with the pith 
of a tree between, and thus striking a light. 



MAGELLAN DISCOVERS THE STRAITS. 1 23 

Magellan only tarried in this harbor long 
enough to repair his ships, rest his crews, and take 
in a fresh supply of wood, water, and provisions, 
and determine on his future course. He made 
an excursion along the coast, and perceived that, 
as far as he went, it stretched away almost due 
northward. He therefore concluded that, if he 
sailed in that direction, he would sooner or later 
reach the equator; and that, if on approaching 
this line, he altered his course towards the north- 
westward, he must in time arrive at the Moluc- 
cas. He had now constructed, in a rude way, a 
pretty fair chart of the world ; though, of course, 
he could not give a true outline of the shape of 
the continents of Africa and South America. 

One day, early in December, the fleet once 
more set forth, upon an ocean which, in that re- 
gion at least, had never before been plowed by the 
keels of an European ship. More than a year had 
passed since the voyagers had sailed out of the 
harbor of Seville. What strange countries and 
peoples they had seen; what thrilling adventures 
they had had ! But the perils and the scenes 
they had passed through were to be outdone by 
those they were yet destined to encounter. 



124 MAGELLAN. 




CHAPTER IX. 

CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 

AIR and calm were the days, and smooth 
and sparkling was the sea, during the 
first weeks of Magellan's progress over 
the ocean, hitherto untraversed by European 
prows. The weather preserved an even tempera- 
ture and tranquillity, which made the voyage 
seem more like a pleasure excursion than what it 
really was — a desperate and daring venture. The 
crews worked at their tasks with cheery good 
will; the ships sped on side-by-side; favorable 
breezes wafted them rapidly forward. It did not 
seem possible that aught could happen to disturb 
this prosperous setting-out. 

Magellan, who was a good scholar, as well as a 
brave soldier and bold voyager, spent the long, 
sunshiny days poring over his charts, making cal- 
culations, and estimating the time it would take, 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. I2]J 

if all went well, to reach the Moluccas. In the 
midst of these studies, a thrilling thought, one 
day, made him start to his feet, and clasp his 
hands. He was approaching the Moluccas by a 
westward route from Europe. But the islands 
had already been reached by an eastward route, 
around the Cape of. Good Hope. If, then, after 
arriving at the Moluccas, he should, instead of re- 
tracing his voyage around South America, keep 
right on, double Africa, and thus get back to 
Spain, he would have circumnavigated the globe . 
No voyager had ever achieved this triumph ; he 
would be the first to have encircled the earth ! 

He resolved on the spot, that he would add 
this new laurel to the crown of his fame. Alas ! 
Though his glorious dream was realized, he was 
not destined to live to see it. 

So tranquil did the waters of the ocean re- 
main, from day to day, and from week to week, 
that Magellan, impressed by this striking con- 
trast with the stormy and tempest-tossed Atlan- 
tic, resolved to bestow upon it a name suggestive 
of its serenity. 

Calling his officers about him, one day, he thus 
spoke to them. 



126 MAGELLAN. 

" My comrades, we are sailing on an unknown 
ocean. No European ship has ever before 
ploughed these gentle waters. On our charts, 
this vast expanse is nameless. Do you not see 
how smooth as a lake is its surface ; how 
mild are its breezes ; how soft and even is its tem- 
perature ? Comrades, I will give this great sea a 
name, and christen it. Henceforth, let it be 
known as the Pacific !" 

And so Magellan gave a name, not only to the 
stormy straits which he had discovered, but also 
to the mighty ocean which he was the first Euro- 
pean voyager to cross. 

After sailing for some weeks, the fleet was be- 
calmed in mid-ocean. The winds which had sped 
the ships so buoyantly, fell, then died away. 
There was nothing to be done except to toss 
about on the lonely sea, and await the return of 
easterly breezes. But days, then weeks passed, 
and the dreary calm continued. Sometimes a 
brisk wind would come up, and the ships would 
then plough rapidly through the waves ; but it 
would vanish again, and leave them once more 
idly floating. 

At first, Magellan thought little of this. He 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 127 

was annoyed not to make greater speed ; but 
there was plenty of time, he thought, before 
them. As weeks elapsed, however, the calms 
threatened evils to the adventurers far more seri- 
ous than mere delay. On examining his supplies 
of provisions, Magellan perceived, to his dismay, 
that they were fast running short. 

Long before this, he had hoped to come upon 
islands where his supplies could be replenished ; 
but day after day the same dreary expanse of 
waters, unbroken by so much as a speck of dry 
land, greeted his eyes. At last, however, an 
island did appear in sight. Magellan eagerly 
ordered the ships to make for it. They ap- 
proached, only to find a heap of barren rocks, 
with a few stunted trees, and uninhabited, ex- 
cept by noisy sea-birds. Not even was there 
good anchorage ; while all about the ships swam 
hideous swarms of sharks, ready to seize, in their 
vast and gaping jaws, any luckless sailor who fell 
into the water, or even exposed himself in a 
boat. 

Magellan was forced to sail away from the 
island without adding a fish or an herb to his 
provisions. Another month passed, amid pro- 



128 MAGELLAN. 

voking calms, and out of sight of land ; then an- 
other island came in sight. This, too, proved bit- 
terly disappointing ; for there was little vegeta- 
tion, and not a living thing appeared on its 
dismal and desolate surface. Here, however, 
some of the sailors managed to land, and suc- 
ceeded in catching a few fish, which served to 
postpone, for a time at least, the approach of 
actual hunger. 

The fleet had now crossed the tropic of Capri- 
corn, and was rapidly nearing the equator. The 
heat grew intense. The sun blazed remorselessly 
down upon the tar who ventured up the masts. 
Men fell fainting and sun-stricken to the deck. 
The platform actually burned under their feet; 
the pitch which filled the seams softened and 
melted, and oozed out. 

What made the heat still more unendurable, 
the supply of fresh water was now almost ex- 
hausted ; what remained had become so filthy 
and nauseous that the wanderers could not drink 
it without shuddering, and it often made them ill. 

Then Magellan was grief-stricken to be forced 
to reduce the rations of his brave and suffering 
comrades. The only food left consisted of coarse 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 120, 

biscuit ; and these were, as one who was on 
board says,^ " reduced to powder, and full of 
worms." They had been gnawed and defiled by 
rats, and were scarcely eatable. But even such 
food was a rich and rare luxury compared to that 
to which the poor fellows were at last reduced. 
In no long time not a biscuit, not a crumb 
remained. Then they were obliged to do 
the very thing that Magellan had spoken 
of, when he said he would go forward, 
"even if they had to eat the leather off the 
yards." This miserable apology for food was 
now, indeed, all that was left. The gaunt and 
famished sailors tore off the ox-hides under the 
main yard, which had been placed there to 
protect the rigging from the strain of the 
yard. The leather was so tough that the 
hungry teeth could make no impression upon it. 
They attached pieces of it to strong cords, and 
let them trail in the sea for four or five days. 
When they were thus soaked through, the sail- 
ors made a poor pretence of cooking the leather. 
They placed it over the fire, until it was singed, 
and then ate it greedily. 

When the leather was gone, they devoured 



I3O MAGELLAN. 

saw-dust, and eagerly hunted down the very rats 
that infested the ships, and when they caught 
one, quarrelled fiercely to secure a bit of him. 

It seemed as if no misfortune were to be spared 
the unhappy voyagers ; for, while they were suf- 
fering all the horrors of famine, that terrible sea 
distemper, the scurvy, broke out in their midst. 
The gums of its victims swelled, so that they 
could not eat even the wretched food still within 
their reach ; and twenty of the sailors soon died 
of actual starvation. Others grew ill, and ere 
long there were scarcely enough to sail the ships. 

An end came, however, to these terrible hard- 
ships at last. The fleet had sailed from Cape 
Desire early in December. In the first days of 
March, it came in sight of some islands, that 
rose green and blooming from the bosom of the 
sea, and even in the distance gave such promise 
of relief that the adventurers fell on their knees 
on deck, and fairly wept for joy. 

There were three of the islands ; one was 
larger than the others, and rose in wooded hills 
to quite a height. Towards this Magellan di- 
rected his course. When the ships approached 
to within a mile of it, of a sudden the water was 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 131 

covered with long, slender boats, with three-cor- 
nered sails, filled with a multitude of fantastic 
figures. The canoes came swarming towards the 
ships, their occupants crying out and making all 
sorts of uncouth noises, and seeming to be not 
in the least afraid of the strangers. It delighted 
Magellan and his famished comrades to perceive 
that they brought with them an abundance of 
provisions. The natives went on board the ships 
as boldly as if they were in the habit of seeing 
Europeans every day; bringing in their arms 
banana stalks hung thick with the luscious fruit, 
cocoanuts, and other products of their island ; 
and pretty soon the voyagers were devouring 
these good things with greedy eagerness. 

The natives were really fine-looking men, with 
smooth, olive skins, handsome and pleasant faces, 
and tall, well-built forms. Many were quite 
naked ; some, however, wore girdles, or matted 
aprons about the waist, and queer-looking hats, 
made of palm leaves. A few wore beards, and 
the thick hair fell, in some cases, down to the 
waist. 

Magellan and his officers treated their visitors 
with grateful good will, and allowed them to 



132 MAGELLAN. 

roam freely about the ships, which they seemed 
anxious to do ; and ere long the vessels fairly 
swarmed with them in every part. They seemed 
perfectly harmless and good-natured, and danced 
and capered about wildly, when Magellan gave 
them some buttons and bells. 

As he was standing on the deck, watching their 
pranks with an amused smile, one of the sailors 
came to him and said that the islanders had 
cunningly stolen the skiff, which had been fast- 
ened to the stern of the " Trinidad." Looking 
over the side, Magellan saw them making off 
with it. At the same moment, other sailors 
came up, and reported that the natives were lay- 
ing hold of everything in the ships to which they 
took a fancy, and were carrying what they thus 
appropriated to their boats. 

Magellan then ordered that they should be 
driven off the ships ; which was at once done. 
This evidently enraged the savages very much ; 
for no sooner had they got into their boats than 
they began pelting the Spaniards with stones 
and burning torches. Magellan then caused the 
cannon to be fired over their heads. This, at 
first, produced the desired result. The boats fled, 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 133 

amid much shrieking and yelling, to the island. 
In the night, however, they returned, and did 
much damage to the ships with their rude missiles. 

The next morning Magellan, indignant at the 
thieving propensities of the natives, and resolved 
to recover the skiff they had stolen — for he could 
ill spare even a small boat — manned several 
boats with forty men, armed to the teeth, and 
taking his place in the foremost, went ashore. 
He found the island a lovely one, overgrown with 
luxuriant tropical fruits and plants, and adorned 
with beautiful forests. Proceeding inland from 
the shore, he soon came to a native village, from 
whence the inhabitants, seeing him approach, 
fled in dismay. He burned the greater part of 
the village, killed several of the natives, and took 
others prisoners ; and then returned to the 
shore, where he found his skiff, with many 
canoes, moored in an inlet out of view of the 
ships. 

Among his prisoners were a number of the 
native women. These, Magellan observed with 
curiosity and interest, were pretty and delicate, 
much fairer than the men, with loose and flowing 
raven tresses, which fell to the very ground. 



134 MAGELLAN. 

They had no clothing, except aprons made of a 
thin and pliable bark ; while their hair and faces 
were perfumed with cocoa oil. Magellan learned 
a great deal that was singular about the people 
and the island, from one of his male prisoners, 
who was very quick-witted, and who conversed 
with him by signs. It appeared that they sub- 
sisted chiefly on figs, sweet canes, birds, and fish. 
Both men and women were very fond of fishing 
in the sea, which was, indeed, their chief pastime; 
their fish-hooks were made of fish-bones. While 
the men worked in the fields, the women stayed 
at home in their huts, and made clothing and 
baskets of palm-leaves. The huts were built of 
wood, and thatched with fig-leaves ; their beds 
had palm-leaf mats for covering, instead of 
blankets and quilts; the beds themselves being 
simply bundles of soft, fine palm straw. As for 
weapons, they used long sticks, with sharpened 
and pointed fish-bones at the end. The boats 
which Magellan found in the cove struck him as 
very odd. They were long, narrow affairs, painted 
red, black, or white. The masts consisted of 
crooked poles, which supported palm-leaf sails, 
shaped like lateen sails, both fore and aft. For 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 135 

paddles they had devices that looked like 
shovels. 

Magellan remained off these islands three days. 
He gave them the name of the " Isles of Thieves," 
because of the depredations of the natives ; and 
the islands are known by that name to this day. 

On weighing anchor, and proceeding on its way 
westward, the fleet was followed by great crowds 
of the natives, in innumerable boats, who chaffed 
the Spaniards by holding fish up to them, as if 
to taunt them with their hunger. Then they 
would throw showers of stones, most of which, 
however, fell- harmlessly into the water, short 
of the ships. They rowed so swiftly and skil- 
fully that it was impossible to hit their boats 
with the cannon balls ; nor did they desist and 
return to their islands until the fleet was far out 
to sea. 

Magellan had now reached the eastern edge of 
that vast cluster of islands which comprises the 
Asiatic archipelago. He soon found himself con- 
stantly passing among groups of them ; but, as he 
had taken care to replenish his store of pro- 
visions and water before sailing from the Isles of 
Thieves, and was uncertain what his reception 



I36 MAGELLAN. 

might be, he did not care to cast anchor among 
them. In ten days he found the islands becoming 
more dense, larger, and more luxurious in vegeta- 
tion ; and now he came to one that seemed so invit- 
ing, that he could not resist the temptation to land. 
The group of islands among which he was then 
passing he named the St. Lazarus Islands, be- 
cause it was on the day of that saint that he 
reached them ; but they are now known as the 
Philippine Islands. The island at which Magel- 
lan cast anchor and went ashore proved to be 
uninhabited ; and he was not sorry for this, 
as he might land in peace, and rest his crews. 
He caused two large tents to be set upon the 
smooth beach, and the sick sailors were taken out 
of the ships and carried into them. There 
the) 7 were carefully tended, and most of them, 
in the balmy air, and supplied with good food, 
soon recovered their customary vigor. On 
this island, too, Magellan found plenty of pure 
water, which had long been one of his direst 
needs. 

Not far from this island was a larger one 
which is now called Samar. Magellan had not 
been at anchor more than two days, when one 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 1 37 

of the sailors espied a long canoe, which was 
rapidly approaching the shore where the Span- 
iards were. Magellan, with some of his officers, 
walked boldly down to the beach, as if to meet the 
new comers; at the same time cautioning his 
men not to move or speak without his per- 
mission. 

The natives sprang fearlessly upon the beach, 
and went directly towards Magellan, whom they 
appeared to recognize at once as the chief officer 
of the fleet. As they came, they capered and 
danced about, and grinned with their big mouths, 
showing rows of dazzling white teeth, as a token 
of friendly welcome. Magellan made signs to 
them that he was glad to see them ; whereupon* 
a number ran along the beach, calling out to some 
of their countrymen, who now appeared off the 
island in canoes, and were fishing, to come on 
shore. 

It was a strange scene, this meeting of Asiatic 
savages, creamy in color, completely naked, were 
it not for the aprons of barks about their waists, 
with great masses of shaggy hair, with the 
Europeans, the chief of whom were as elegantly 
attired as if they were on the point of attending 



I38 MAGELLAN. 

a royal court ; the savages huddled together on 
one side, gazing curioucl'% and every now and 
then jumping up, and uttering hoarse exclama- 
tions; and the Europeans standing in a silent and 
attentive group, not forgetting to keep their 
hands on their weapons in case of a sudden 
attack. 

But the natives evidently had no hostile pur- 
pose in their thoughts. They brought some just- 
caught and still wriggling fish, and laid them, with 
many signs of respect, at Magellan's feet. He 
was not less generous in his turn. Sending into 
the tents for some trinkets, he might soon have 
been seen, in the very midst of the natives, scat- 
tering among them a number of articles that 
fairly set them wild with delight. There were 
looking-glasses and combs, red caps and bells, 
toys of ivory, and gewgaws of silverware and 
brass. The natives were not content with lav- 
ishing fish upon the strangers. One of their 
canoes pushed off, and in a flash had disap- 
peared ; ere long, it was seen returning as rapidly 
as it went. Its occupants sprang ashore, bring- 
ing with them a huge jar. Placing this before 
Magellan, they produced cups made of cocoanut 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. 1 39 

shells, dipped into the jar, and brought forth the 
cups overflowing with some kind of liquor. 
Magellan tasted it, and turning around, smiled and 
nodded his head, as if to say, " It is very nice." 
But this was only put on to please his visitors; 
it was really very unpleasant stuff, a sort of wine 
made of palms. The natives drank it with great 
gusto. Magellan liked " much better the enor- 
mous figs they brought him, which were sweet 
and juicy; and the rich milk of the cocoanuts, 
which they cracked for his delectation. 

The natives, indeed, proved so friendly, that Ma- 
gellan not only secured from them what provisions 
he needed, with which to replenish his stores, but 
learned a great deal about that part of the great 
ocean where he now found himself. He was 
told that there were many larger islands ahead, 
all of which were inhabited by tribes with various 
traits and customs, and were very rich in their 
productions. He could not doubt that he was 
very near the far-famed Molucca Islands, so 
much coveted both by his adopted country, 
Spain, and his native country, Portugal. It 
seemed certain to him that the vast Continent of 
Asia lay not far to the North of him ; those mys- 



140 MAGELLAN. 

terious regions once comprising the dominions of 
the great Kubla Khan; and that, by sailing 
steadily westward, he should reach the shores 
of Africa, and find the kingdoms which Vasco da 
Gama had visited. 

He found that he could trust his swarthy visi- 
tors ; and no longer hesitated to take them on 
board the ships, and show them his cargo of 
spices and gold, his cabins, and his armament. 
On one occasion, he caused one of the cannon 
on board the " Trinidad" to be fired ; which so 
much frightened the natives, that several of them 
sprang overboard into the sea, and were with dif- 
ficulty rescued. 

At last, the chief of the island from whence 
the natives came, himself paid a visit to the 
ships in state. He was attended by many nobles, 
and had his face painted ; while heavy gold 
ear-rings hung from his ears, and gold bracelets 
encircled his wrists. He was an old maji, with 
gentle manners, and a pleasant smile. With him 
he brought two boats laden with oranges, palm 
wine, and — what very much pleased Magellan — 
some chickens. 

Before sailing away from the place where he 



CROSSING THE PACIFIC. I4I 

had met so pleasant a reception, Magellan visited 
several neighboring islands, in each of which he 
was welcomed in a most peaceful and friendly 
manner. On one of these he found people very 
different from those he had seen at first. They 
were of a tawny complexion, and very fat and 
sleek-looking; they painted their bodies all over; 
they had great holes bored in their ears ; and 
wore, as did the others, aprons made of bark, or 
palm-leaves. They had a habit of anointing 
themselves from head to foot, with oil of cocoa- 
nuts and sesame, in order, as they said, to pro- 
tect them from the sun and wind. Some of the 
chief men were arrayed in long gowns made of 
cotton, the ends of which were fringed with a 
kind of silk; their weapons were daggers and 
knives, the hilts, in some cases, ornamented with 
gold; and for fishing, they had harpoons and 
nets. 

These savages had one habit which greatly 
disgusted Magellan and his companions. This 
was their habit of betel-chewing. A sort of pear- 
shaped fruit, called areca, grew on the islands. 
This, with some lime, they would wrap up in 
the betel-leaves, and putting it into their mouths, 



142 MAGELLAN. 

would chew eagerly by the hour together. It 
had the effect of keeping them continually ex- 
cited ; but when the Spaniards tasted it, it made 
them very sick. 

Magellan remained among the Philippines a 
week. The ships fortunately needed but few 
repairs; and the great fruitfulness of the islands 
supplied him with an ample abundance of pro- 
visions. The two springs on the little island 
yielded plenty of good water ; and the forests 
on the larger islands afforded an excellent stock 
of wood. It seemed as if the trials of the wan- 
derers were passed, and as if the rest of their 
Voyage were to be a holiday sail. 



MAGELLAN. 143 




CHAPTER X. 

MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. 

T was now the latter part of March ; in 
that tropical region one of the pleasant- 
est periods of the year, when the sun no 
longer blazed down remorselessly, and the superb 
vegetation of the equatorial lands displayed its 
gaudiest colors. 

As the ships wound in among clusters of 
islands, which were now never out of sight a sin- 
gle day, Magellan thought he had never seen so 
many natural beauties, that he had never imagined 
such trees, and shrubs, and flowers, so glowing an 
atmosphere, so smooth and fair a sea ; such beauti- 
ful forests, jungles, valleys, such fairy isles, as he 
now beheld. 

He often sat on deck at sunrise, and gazed on 
the magic scene; observed the lovely islands as 
one after another was passed ; saw the natives 



144 MAGELLAN. 

as they ran about on the shore, or huddled in 
curious groups to watch the ships ; and inhaled 
the rich, dense perfumes that the breezes wafted 
from the fruitful fields. 

After skirting many islands, the fleet came, one 
night, near an island where a great fire appeared 
to be burning. The next morning Magellan an- 
chored just off its shores ; and no sooner had he 
done so, than a boat with eighl men pulled out 
from the island, and approached the " Trinidad." 
When it came near, a Malay, whom Magellan had 
brought with him as an interpreter, exclaimed in 
an excited voice, that the men in the boat were 
his countrymen, and that he would speak to 
them. Magellan told him to do so; and the 
Malay, leaning over the side of the ship, rattled 
off some gibberish at the top of his lungs. The 
men in the boat, as soon as they heard him, 
jumped up and began to make wild gesticula- 
tions ; and when he paused, replied to him in the 
same tongue. The interpreter asked them to come 
on board the " Trinidad ;" but they replied that 
they were afraid to do so. 

Then Magellan caused a small plank to be 
brought ; to this he tied a red cap, and some 



MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. I45 

trinkets, and threw it into the water near the 
boat. The natives seized the plank eagerly ; 
and the chief of them, detaching the cap, put it 
on his shaggy head, and began dancing about in 
the boat. 

Presently they rowed rapidly away ; and Ma- 
gellan was about to weigh anchor and proceed 
on his voyage, when he saw two larger boats, 
with many more men in them, put out from the 
shore. As the foremost drew near the " Trini- 
dad," he perceived in the centre of it a tall, dark 
man, much more richly dressed than his compan- 
ions, seated under an awning of mats. He asked 
the interpreter who this man could be ; the 
Malay replied that he was doubtless the king 
of the island. Such, indeed, he proved ; for the 
Malay addressed him in his own language, to 
which the swarthy monarch readily replied. He 
could not be prevailed upon to trust his royal 
person on board the flag-ship ; but sent some 
of his courtiers, whom Magellan cordially wel- 
comed, and to whom he confided some presents 
for the king. In return, the king sent him a large 
bar of solid gold, which made the eyes of the 
sailors sparkle ; and a basket of. ginger. 



I46 MAGELLAN. 

Finding this native prince so friendly, Magel- 
lan resolved to prolong his stay at the island, 
which was called Mazzava. The ships moved 
around into a convenient cove, quite near the 
royal residence ; and now, every day, civilities 
passed between the natives and the Spaniards. 
The king was soon persuaded to go on board 
the " Trinidad ;" and on his arrival, in great 
state, one morning, he went up to Magellan, and 
tenderly embraced him. The Admiral had an 
arm-chair placed on deck for his august visitor, 
and entered into familiar conversation with him, 
the Malay acting as interpreter. The king said 
that he wished to be " cassi, cassi," with Magel- 
lan — that is, the best of friends; and in token of 
his amiable disposition, he produced some china 
dishes, on which were rice and fish. 

Magellan was not to be outdone in generosity 
and politeness ; he gave the king a robe of red 
and yellow cloth, and a handsomely embroidered 
red cap ; seeing to it that presents of knives and 
mirrors were also made to the king's attendants. 
Magellan then caused cloths of different colors, 
linen, and coral to be brought and shown to his 
guest ; and* ordered the artillery to be fired, 



MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. 14/ 

which much pleased the king, who, having heard 
guns fired before, was not terrified. The king, 
seeing one of the Spaniards with a suit of armor 
on, asked what was the purpose of so strange an 
attire ; whereupon Magellan ordered three other 
Spaniards to strike the man in armor with swords 
and daggers, as hard as they could. The king 
observing that they made no impression on him, 
then understood why armor was worn. 

Magellan took care to let the swarthy monarch 
know that he had two hundred men who, thus 
clad in armor, could fight without being harmed 
by any enemy's weapons. 

Resolved to show the king still further evidence 
of the powers of the Europeans in battle, he com- 
manded two of his soldiers to engage in a mock 
combat in fencing. The potentate leaned for- 
ward in his chair, and gazed breathlessly at the 
struggle. He seemed amazed at the skill with 
which the soldiers parried each other's blows, and 
aimed rapid and deadly thrusts at each other's 
breasts. He examined the swords, cuirasses 
and hemlets which were brought for his inspec- 
tion, with the deepest interest. 

Then, turning to Magellan, whom he was be* 



I48 MAGELLAN. 

ginning to regard as something more than mor- 
tal, he asked if he had made a long voyage, and 
how he was able to navigate his great ships 
hither ? Magellan then showed the king his charts, 
compass, quadrants, and other instruments, and 
explained their use as well as he could ; and 
made the king stare with wonder, when he told 
him that he had sailed for many months with- 
out seeing a speck of land in any direction. 

The royal visit was brought to a close by a 
bountiful repast in the Admiral's cabin, at which 
the best things the ships afforded, or that had 
been procured on the islands, were served, daintily 
prepared and cooked by the stewards of the fleet. 
The king tasted of all the dishes, eating some of 
them with a keen relish, and making wry faces at 
others. He disdained the use of knives and 
forks, but ate fast with his fingers. He became 
very merry after drinking some port wine, to 
which he took a vast liking, and once more em- 
bracing Magellan, swore eternal friendship for 
him and his mighty sovereignty, the king of 
Spain. 

A day or two after, it was arranged that two 
of Magellan's principal men should go on shore, 



MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. I49 

visit the king's house, and see the town and the 
the natives. One of these was Antonio Pigafetta, 
an accomplished, courtly Italian, a cherished friend 
of Magellan; who, years afterwards, wrote the 
best account that exists of Magellan's voyage 
and exploits. 

As soon as Pigafetta and his companion had 
landed on the island, the king approached them, 
and lifted his hands to the sky ; and they did the 
same. This, it appears, was the way the king 
had of saying, " You are right welcome." Then 
he conducted his visitors to an inlet, the shores 
of which grew thick with tall canes, and where a 
long boat was moored ; and made motions to 
them to step on board, and take their seats on 
the little deck in the aft end. The royal at- 
tendants stood around, with their swords and 
spears. Presently some roast pig and wine were 
brought, and with these his majesty regaled 
them. Pigafetta noticed that whenever there 
was any wine left in the cups, it was poured back 
carefully into the vase again. The islanders were 
evidently very economical. Their way of drink- 
ing was curious. They first raised their hands 
aloft ; then took the cup in their right hand, while 



I50 MAGELLAN. 

they held out the left towards their compan- 
ions. The king, just before drinking, clinched 
his fist, and thrust it close to Pigafetta's face ; 
but the latter, perceiving that it was a friendly, 
and not a hostile motion, returned the singular 
compliment. 

When the two guests had feasted to the top 
of their bent off roast pig, rice, and broth, they 
were conducted to the royal palace. A poor-look- 
ing palace, indeed, it was ; a long, ricketty build- 
ing, which reminded Pigafetta of the barns in his 
own country, thatched with fig and palm-leaves. 
It rested on heavy timbers and posts, and a flight 
of steps reached to its first story from the out- 
side. On entering the chief apartment of the 
king, Pigafetta observed a plain floor, covered 
with mats, and supplied with rude, low tables. 

No sooner were the strangers, the king, and 
the courtiers seated on the mats, than more food 
and drink was brougrit. These people seemed, 
indeed, forever eating and drinking. This time 
Pigafetta and his comrade were treated to roast 
fish and ginger, which really tasted quite nice. 
Pigafetta's companion, indeed, enjoyed his supper 
so much, especially the wine — which was far 



MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. 15 1 

more palatable than that they had got at the other 
islands — that he grew very tipsy ; and made so 
much noise that Pigafetta was obliged to have 
him carried to one corner of the room, and laid 
on a mat. Here he was soon snoring soundly, 
in a deep slumber. 

Presently the prince, the king's son and heir, 
a comely, cream-colored young man, came in, and 
his father made him sit at Pigafetta's side. As 
soon as it was dark, torches made of the gum of 
a tropical tree, and wrapped in palm and fig- 
leaves, were brought and lighted ; and these lit 
up a very curious and unwonted scene. The king 
now went away to his own sleeping-apartment, 
leaving the prince with Pigafetta, to sleep in that 
where they had supped. On retiring his majesty 
kissed Pigafetta's hands. 

The Italian found his bed to consist of some 
pillows and cushions stuffed with leaves. It was 
a rough place for repose ; but, having been used 
to the trials of the sea, he minded it little, and 
slept soundly until he was awakened by some of 
the royal attendants. He and his companion 
breakfasted gayly with the king ; and while they 
were at the table, there appeared another potent- 



152 MAGELLAN. 

ate, a brother of their host, who was the king ot 
a neighboring island. This personage impressed 
Pigafetta very much. He was a tall and very 
handsome man, with raven-black hair that fell 
in thick clusters about his shoulders, and a dark, 
copper complexion, large and brilliant black eyes, 
and an erect and symmetrical figure. Upon his 
head he wore a kind of turban of rich silk, finely 
embroidered ; he was attired in a silken tunic 
that reached his knees ; two enormous gold rings 
hung from his ears ; at his side was suspended 
a dagger, the handle of which was solid gold, and 
the sheath carved wood; while his person ex- 
haled a strong and agreeable perfume. When 
this king spoke, Pigafetta perceived that on each 
of his teeth were stuck little round disks of gold, 
which made his mouth fairly shine when he 
opened it. Pigafetta was told that the island on 
which he ruled had gold mines, from which great 
nuggets of the precious metal were often ex- 
tracted. 

Pigafetta and his companion then returned 
to the flag-ship, carrying this monarch with 
them. Magellan received him as cordially as 
he had received his brother, and he went away 



MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. 1 53 

fully as much delighted with the Spaniards as his 
brother had been. Easter had now come, and 
Magellan, who was a good Catholic, and through- 
out his voyage had never omitted to observe 
each festivity of the Church as it came, resolved 
to have a solemn mass performed, in honor of the 
anniversary of the rising of Christ. He therefore 
sent a message to the king of Mazzava, inform- 
ing him that the voyagers were going on shore, 
not to visit him, but to hold a religious festival. 
He invited the two kings and their courtiers to 
be present, and to join in the devotions of the 
Europeans, if they saw fit. 

It was an impressive scene on that brilliant, 
warm Easter Sunday morning, on the shore of a 
tropical isle, with its lofty palms and luxuriant 
shrubs growing almost to the water's edge; 
thousands of miles from the nearest Christian 
church, in the midst of regions given over to 
idol worship and the densest barbarism ! There 
were the weather-beaten sailors-, rough and rude, 
attired in such show of good clothing as they 
could still afford ; there were the officers, in more 
imposing costume, their swords hung at their 
sides, their velvet cloaks thrown across their 



154 MAGELLAN. 

shoulders, their heads adorned with sashed and 
plumed caps ; there was Magellan, with serious 
countenance, awaiting the beginning of the rite; 
and there, strangest of all, stood the two swarthy 
kings, with painted faces, decked out in fantas- 
tic and savage finery, surrounded by their dark- 
featured and half-nude courtiers, watching with 
keen interest the scene that was being en- 
acted before them. On the smooth strand an 
altar had been set up , with lighted candles, and 
lace draperies, and such other ornaments as had 
been brought for religious purposes on the voy- 
age ; and before it now appeared two priests, 
with shaven heads and long embroidered copes. 
Just before the mass began, Magellan advanced 
to the two kings ; and taking his place between 
them, gently sprinkled them with musk-rose 
water. Then the cannon boomed from the ships ; 
and this deafening noise was succeeded by the 
clear voices of the priests rising in the intonation 
of the sacred words. At one period of the cere- 
mony, the Christians went forward and kissed a 
cross, held by one of the priests ; and their ex- 
ample was followed by the barbarian monarchs 
and their subjects. When the host was elevated, 



MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. 1 55 

all, including the natives, prostrated themselves 
on the ground ; and at this moment the cannon 
once more pealed forth from the decks of the 
ships. 

Mass over, Magellan ordered that the more 
lively and worldly festivitie s should begin ; and 
the kings watched with wonder and delight the 
skilful fencing, and the rough martial sports, in 
which the Spaniards now lustily engaged. They 
were amazed at the strength of the wrestlers; 
witnessed breathlessly the shooting matches, for 
which targets were set up on the strand ; and 
looked on eagerly while rough games of many 
kinds were played by the strangers. 

There was one more task for Magellan to per- 
form, ere he left these hospitable isles. He was 
now in regions, the discovery and possession of 
which Spain and Portugal disputed between 
them. Although himself by birth a Portuguese, 
Magellan owed now his allegiance to the king 
of Spain, who had trusted him, and confided 
to him the command of the fleet. As the two 
countries aspired to divide the eastern world be- 
tween them, it was necessary for him to have a 
care for the interests of the sovereign he served, 



I56 MAGELLAN. 

and to take possesion of the places where he 
landed. 

Not very far from the shore where mass had 
been celebrated, rose a lofty and verdant hill, 
the summit of which, however, was quite bare. 
It was the highest eminence on the island ; the 
top could be discerned from a great distance, 
by a ship at sea. Upon the summit Magellan re- 
solved to erect a cross, surmounted by a wooden 
crown, as a token that he had taken possession 
of the island in the name of the Spanish king. 

It was not difficult to persuade the king of 
Mazzava to allow him to do this. The barbarian 
monarch was told that King Charles had com- 
manded such crosses to be raised wherever his 
voyagers went ; that if, in future, any Spanish 
ships came to Mazzava, they would know, by the 
cross, that it was a friendly country, and would 
commit no violence on the people ; and that if 
any of his subjects were ever ill-treated by Span- 
iards, they would make full reparation, as soon as 
the cross was shown to them. 

Magellan did not forget to add a pious lesson 
to these persuasions. He assured his royal host 
that the cross was the symbol of the Christian 



MAGELLAN AMONG THE MALAYS. 1 57 

deity ; and that, if he and his people would, at 
the approach of danger, fall down and adore it, 
no harm could come to them ; neither thunder, 
lightning, nor tempest could injure them. 

The king and his brother, the other king, 
readily consented that the cross should be erected ; 
whereupon Magellan, attended by fifty of his 
sturdiest men, armed to the teeth, several of 
whom carried the heavy cross, slowly ascended 
the hill. With him went the two kings and 
their retinues. 

Arrived at the summit, the Spaniards dug a 
deep hole ; the cross was placed in position, and 
the hole was filled up. Magellan advanced, and 
knelt before the cross a moment ; then, rising, 
and taking off his cap, he declared the island to 
be the dominion of the king of Spain. 

Soon after, Magellan went to bid adieu to the 
two monarchs, who overwhelmed him, not only 
with an affectionate reception, which they ex- 
pressed by touching his forehead and kissing his 
hands, but with an abundance of the good things 
their fruitful land afforded. They described the 
islands by which he would pass on his way, told 
him of the traits of their inhabitants, which to 



158 MAGELLAN. 

avoid, and in which he might expect a hospitable 
welcome ; and at the last moment, the king of 
Mazzava resolved to accompany him, at least as 
far as the inland of Sebu. 

The ships were now provided, not only with 
grain, water, and wood, but an ample store of 
figs, cocoanuts, lemons, pigs, fowl, ginger and 
rice ; what few repairs they needed were com* 
pleted ; and on a pleasant morning in April, Ma- 
gellan sailed away from Mazzava, delighted with 
the reception he had met with there, and his 
heart buoyant with the hope of a successful con- 
tinuation and ending of his voyage. With him, 
on board the flag-ship, went the king of Mazzava, 
and several of his courtiers. 



MAGELLAN. 1 59 




CHAPTER XL 

ADVENTURES AT SEBU. 

HE island of Sebu, Magellan was told, 
was the most beautiful and fruitful of 
the vast labyrinth of islands which clus- 
ter in the Archipelago. It lay some leagues west- 
ward of Mazzava; and was ruled over by one of 
the most intelligent and" powerful potentates in 
the Eastern seas. 

To this island, therefore, he determined to re- 
pair. It would be one of the fairest provinces 
which he could offer to King Charles ; and he 
would do all in his power to engage the friend- 
ship and alliance of its ruler. 

On the way, the weather was pleasant, and no 
accident occurred to mar the pleasure of the voy- 
age. Magellan conversed much, through the 
Malay interpreter, with the friendly king who 
had trusted himself with him, and learned many 



loo 



MAGELLAN. 



curious things about the peoples and customs of 
the islands by which they sailed. 

The adventurers observed everything with the 
deepest interest ; and many were the strange 
sights and scenes which, in this far-off region, 
greeted their eyes. They saw birds flying 
through the air, " as large as eagles," one of 
which they killed, and ate with good relish ; they 
saw doves of various brilliant hues, parrots with 
gorgeous plumage, and long-tailed blackbirds as 
large as hens ; while on the shores of the islands 
they espied tortoises which, compared with those 
of Europe, were enormous. 

It was on a Sunday, about noon, that the fleet 
came in sight of the much talked-of island of 
Sebu. Skirting its shores, the Spaniards saw 
many closely-built and busy villages, some close 
to the beach, others nestled in picturesque val- 
leys, at the foot of green, sloping hills. They 
sailed for some distance along the coast, until 
finally they reached a pretty bay, at the head of 
which was situated the principal town of the 
island. 

As the ships entered the bay, Magellan ordered 
that the standards should be run up to the mast- 



ADVENTURES AT SEBU. l6l 

head, the sails lowered, and the cannon fired. A 
vast crowd of natives speedily assembled along 
the shore. When they heard the deafening re- 
port of the cannon, echoing among the hills, they 
huddled together in a terrified mass, and made 
all haste to regain the town. 

Magellan then sent an intelligent young Portu- 
guese whom he had brought with him, and the 
Malay interpreter, on shore, to seek the presence 
of the king of Sebu, and assure him that the 
fleet had come on a friendly errand. 

As they advanced from the shore, and ap- 
proached the town, they saw the inhabitants 
fleeing from them in all directions, and shutting 
themselves up in their houses. The young 
Portuguese, however, succeeded in overtaking 
one old man, who could not move as fast as the 
rest ; and made him know, through the interpre- 
ter, what his errand was. The old man soon re- 
covered from his fright, and said he would go 
and deliver the message of the strangers to his 
sovereign. In no long time he returned, and 
told the, Portuguese and his companion to follow 
him into the royal presence. 

They found the king seated on a wide mat, in 



l62 MAGELLAN. 

a court of his palace ; which was a low building, 
erected in the form of a quadrangle. He was 
surrounded by a multitude of courtiers ; while at 
his feet lay, in languid attitudes, his dark-brown 
wives, whose raven hair fell on their shoulders, 
and whose large black eyes stared curiously at 
the white men. 

The Malay interpreter advanced and knelt be- 
fore the king, who lifted his hands heavenward 
in token of welcome. Then the Malay spoke in 
his own tongue, which the king understood at 
once. He was assured that the fleet had come 
on an errand of peace and good-will. 

" What, then," asked the monarch, " are you 
seeking here?" 

" My master," replied the Malay, " is a captain 
of the greatest king in the world, and hath come, 
by his king's command, to discover the far-famed 
Molucca islands. Hearing of your courtesy and 
good renown, he has come hither to visit you, 
and to exchange the merchandize he has brought 
for such provisions as you are willing to provide 
him." 

"Your master," responded the shrewd prince, 
" is right welcome. But we have a custom, that 



ADVENTURES AT SEBU. 163 

all ships that enter our port pay tribute. Only- 
four days ago, a ship came here from Siam, laden 
with gold and slaves, and paid the tribute I ex- 
acted. Here," added the king, " is a Siamese 
merchant who came in her." So saying, he 
pointed to a strange-looking personage, with 
sallow face and squinting eyes, but very richly 
dressed, who was standing by. 

"But my captain," replied the Malay, drawing 
himself up proudly, " will not pay tribute to any 
sovereign in the world ; being, as he is, the sub- 
ject of the greatest of them. If you wish peace, 
you shall have it. But if you had rather have 
war, it shall be so." 

The brow of the dusky potentate .darkened at 
this bold reply, and for a moment he seemed on 
the point of ordering the strangers to be seized. 
He looked around among his people, and half- 
rose from his mat. His hand was already clutch- 
ing a short sword which hung at his girdle, and 
the Portuguese and Malay had grasped their dag- 
gers, when the Siamese merchant, coming for- 
ward, and making a profound salaam, spoke: 

" Look well, O king," said he, " to what you 
do. These people are the same that conquered 



164 MAGELLAN 

Calicut, Malacca, and alLthe greater India. If 

you receive them hospitably, and proffer them of 

your abundant good things, you will find your* 

self the better for it. They will be your friends 

and allies. But if you treat them ill, it will be 

all the worse for you ; so the people of Calicut 

have found out, to their cost." 

« 
»" My sovereign," added the interpreter, who 

had understood all that the Siamese had said, 
" is a much greater ruler than the king of Portu- 
gal, who conquered India. He is not only king 
of Spain, but emperor of Christendom. If you 
do not well treat his captain, he will, another 
time, send hither enough men and ships to sweep 
you and your subjects off the face of the earth." 

These speeches seemed to impress the king of 
Sebu very much ; he declared that he would 
talk with his chief advisers, and would deliver 
his response to Magellan's messengers the next 
day. He then gave proof that he had recovered 
his good temper, by ordering a bountiful feast to 
be .set before the white men ; who soon after re- 
turned to the flag-ship, and apprized Magellan of 
what had passed. 

The next day the messengers returned to the 



ADVENTURES AT SEBU. 165 

island, where the king received them in a large, 
open space, between the houses. He was squat- 
ted on a palm mat, and was quite naked, except 
that he had a wide cloth about his waist, and a 
loose turban, embroidered with silk, on his head. 
About his neck hung a heavy chain, while in his 
ears were two gold rings, studded with precious 
stones. The king was a little, fat, jovial-looking 
man, though the expression of his countenance 
was marred by tatooing. When the visitors ap- 
proached, he was eating tortoise eggs from some 
china dishes; taking, every now and then, a long 
drink from a jug of palm wine, which he sucked 
through a cane tube. Asking them to sit by 
him, he proceeded at once to overwhelm them 
with questions, which he asked eagerly, bending 
towards the interpreter to catch his replies. 

Was there more than one commander in the 
ships? Was he to be required to pay tribute? 
How many men were there on board ? and so on. 
The young Portuguese replied that Magellan did 
not ask any tribute, but only desired to trade 
with the articles he had brought from Spain. 
The king seemed at last fully satisfied ; for, prick- 
ing his right arm, he let a little blood flow upon 



l66 MAGELLAN. 

a fig-leaf, and wrapping it up, begged the Portu- 
guese to carry it to Magellan, as a token that he 
would be a faithful friend of the king of Spain. 
He asked a similar token from the Admiral which 
the Portuguese smilingly promised. 

After this, everything went on swimmingly be- 
tween the voyagers and the people of Sebu. The 
king of Mazzava went ashore on a visit to his 
brother monarch, and on his return, told Magel- 
lan that the king of Sebu was preparing a large 
quantity of provisions for him ; and that in the 
afternoon two young princes, nephews of the 
king, with their retinues, would come on board 
to present them. 

Magellan prepared to welcome these young 
princes in a manner worthy of their rank and im- 
portance, and to show his gratitude for the good 
things they brought. A handsome carpet was 
spread on the deck, and mats were laid on either 
side. On the carpet was placed a red velvet 
chair for Magellan himself ; and leather chairs, for 
the other captains and officers, were ranged on 
the mats. The standards floated from the masts; 
and the flag-ship presented a gay, holiday aspect. 

About the middle of the afternoon the boats 



ADVENTURES AT SEBU. 167 

conveying the princes were seen to put out from 
the shore; Magellan and the rest took their 
places ; and soon the dusky and gaudily-dressed 
group were seated in front of the Admiral. At 
Magellan's side stood the faithful Malay inter- 
preter, who rendered his conversation with the 
princes easy. 

" Is it your custom," asked Magellan, of the 
elder and more important of the princes, " to 
speak in public about matters of state? And 
have you the power to conclude peace between 
us and the king of Sebu ?" 

The prince bowed assent to both these ques- 
tions. 

" Then I would have you know," resumed Ma- 
gellan, " that I ardently desire this peace, and 
will pray God to confirm it." 

" I hear the captain's words with delight," was 
the prince's answer;" I have never heard a stranger 
speak so gently." 

Magellan then questioned his royal guest about 
many things. He asked, " Who will succeed your 
king, on his death?" 

" The king has no son," was the reply, " but 
several daughters. I am the king's nephew, and 



l68 MAGELLAN. 

have married his eldest daughter ; and I shall be 
his successor." 

The prince also told him that when fathers and 
mothers in Sebu grew old, they were greatly neg- 
lected, and their children ordered them about as 
if they were slaves. 

The discoverers and conquerors of the days in 
which Magellan lived thought it one of their 
first duties to convert the heathen peoples 
whom they encountered to Christianity. They 
sometimes did this by persuasion ; and not sel- 
dom by force. When the savage kings and their* 
peoples refused to abandon their religion for that 
of the European, they were often compelled to 
accept the new faith by fire and sword. 

Magellan, therefore, lost no opportunity of 
trying to plant Christianity among the rude 
natives of the tropical isles ; and the first task to 
accomplish was to convert their rulers. 

He now began to persuade the young princes 
to embrace the Christian religion. Reproving 
them for the ill-treatment which they declared the 
old people suffered in their kingdom, he said : 

" Our God, who made heaven and earth, and 
all things therein, has commanded that every 



ADVENTURES AT SEBU. 169 

one should yield obedience and respect to his 
father and mother ; and you may be sure that 
whoever does otherwise shall be condemned to 
eternal fire." 

The princes listened earnestly to all that he 
said, and finally declared that, if the king would 
consent, they would become Christians. 

"You must not accept our faith," said Magel- 
lan, " from fear of us, or in order to please us. 
If you wish to become Christians, you must do 
so willingly. No harm shall be done you if you 
do not embrace our religion; but those who do, 
shall be more loved, and better treated, than the 
others. Moreover, if you become Christians, I 
• will leave you arms, as my king has commanded, 
with which to defend yourselves from your 
enemies." 

The princes declared that they would embrace 
Christianity of their own free wills ; whereupon 
Magellan, with tears in his eyes, warmly em- 
braced them, and caused the priests to bless 
them. All on board now sat down to a bounti- 
ful feast ; after which the princes and Magellan 
exchanged presents. The princes brought forth 
a large basket of rice, figs, goats, and fowl ; and 



I/O MAGELLAN. 

Magellan returned to them cloth, red caps, and 
cups of gilt glass, besides a robe of yellow and 
violet silk for their royal uncle. 

The young Portuguese and the Malay were now 
sent on shore every day to converse with the 
king, to arrange for a treaty of peace, to estab- 
lish trade, and to prepare the monarch and his 
courtiers for their reception into the Christian 
faith. They were treated, whenever they went, 
with trust and hospitality. On one occasion, the 
elder of the young princes conducted them to his 
house, where he provided various amusements for 
them. Among these was a very pretty dance, 
performed by four lovely young girls ; who, as 
they danced, played softly and sweetly upon 
musical instruments, the like of which the Portu- 
guese had never before seen. Another time, 
when one of the Spanish sailors had died, he 
was carried on shore by the two messengers to 
be buried. The king not only provided him 
with a grave in the open space in the centre of 
the town, but himself, with his court, attended 
the funeral ceremony. After the sailor was 
buried, his comrades set up a cross over the 
grave. 



ADVENTURES AT SEBU. I/I 

The Spaniards were soon engaged in an active 
trade with the people of Sebu. The king provided 
one of the larger huts, near the shore, as a ware- 
house ; and thither was carried a variety of the 
goods that composed the cargo of the ships. 
Four of the Spaniards were selected to act as 
salesmen. They bartered iron, cloths, and trinkets 
for gold, which, it appeared, was found in large 
quantities in Sebu and the neighboring islands ; 
and in dealing with the natives they found them 
peaceable, honest, and fair, and not at all dis- 
posed to drive a hard bargain* They had a curi- 
ous contrivance for weighing their goods. It 
consisted of a wooden pole suspended in the 
middle, with a basin suspended by three cords 
at one end, and a cord at the other, upon which 
hung a weight equal to the basin, to which the 
weights were attached. The Spaniards soon per- 
suaded the natives to give up this cumbrous device 
for the scales they had brought with them from 
Europe. The natives gave gold worth fifteen 
Spanish ducats, for fourteen pounds of iron. 



172 MAGELLAN. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 




HE king and his court were, in no long 
time, fully persuaded to become Chris- 
tians; and Magellan resolved to make 
the ceremony of their baptism and entrance into 
the fold of the Church as imposing and impres- 
sive as possible. He wished that their untutored 
minds should have the deepest sense of the im- 
portance of the step they were taking, so that 
they would never forget or retreat from it. 

Preparations for the solemn event were made 
on the most elaborate scale. A high platform 
was erected by the Spaniards in the centre of 
the open space ; and this was decked out with 
tapestry, carpets, and palm branches. Not only 
the king of Sebu, but his queen, and the king of 
Mazzava (who was still with Magellan) were to be 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 173 

baptized ; and the day appointed was Sunday, 
the fourteenth of April. 

On that morning, all was commotion, both in 
the fleet and in the town. The natives as- 
sembled in the streets, and huddled in excited 
groups along the beach ; while the crews of the 
ships attired themselves in their best suits, as 
if for an extraordinary occasion. 

Soon everything was ready. The boats were 
lowered, and each was filled with its quota of offi- 
cers and sailors ; and when all had embarked, the 
boats set out for the shore. At the same time 
the cannon broke the stillness of the Sunday 
morning, and sent joyous peals over the waters. 
The boats that went ahead contained forty 
men in armor, one of whom carried the royal 
standard of Spain. These landed first, and were 
soon followed by the sailors. A procession was 
formed ; Magellan was in front, with his captains, 
all wearing velvet cloaks and plumed caps ; then 
came the priests ; the soldiers were next in order; 
and the rear was occupied by the crews. 

Advancing up the slight slope that led from 
the shore to the open space, Magellan and his 
company reached the scene of the day's ceremony. 



174 MAGELLAN. 

The short, fat king, in fantastic attire, his face 
freshly painted that morning, stood ready to re- 
ceive them, surrounded by a numerous array of 
courtiers and chiefs. By his side was the king of 
Mazzava, who r^ad preceded the Spaniards on 
shore. 

Magellan and the two barbarian kings now as- 
cended the scaffold, and took their places in chairs 
of red and violet velvet, which had been brought 
from the flag-ship for the purpose. Meanwhile, 
the chief men of Sebu arranged themselves 
on chairs, or squatted on mats, below the plat- 
form; the trumpets sent forth a loud, long blast; 
then Magellan, turning to the potentates, and 
addressing them through the Malay, who stood 
behind his chair, for the last time asked them if 
they really wished to become good Christians. 

"If you do," said he, "you must burn all the 
idols in your dominions ; and in their places, set 
up the cross, which is the symbol of our God. 
And each day you and your people must go and 
kneel at the cross, and join your hands, and im- 
plore the favor of heaven. Will you do this?" 

The kings promptly replied that they would ; 
and that whatever the " captain," as they called 




- mm 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 175 

Magellan, commanded, they would faithfully and 
always obey. 

Magellan then rose, and taking the king of 
Sebu by the hand, led him around the platform ; 
after which the priests performed the solemn cere- 
mony of baptism. The king was christened by 
the name of Charles, after the king of Spain. 
The king of Mazzava, and the eldest of the Sebu 
princes, were next in the like manner baptized ; 
the former receiving the name of John, and the 
latter that of Ferdinand. 

The principal subjects of the king of Sebu 
now flocked upon the platform, to be received 
in their turn into the bosom of the Catholic 
Church ; and when fifty of them had been bap- 
tized, the rite of the mass was performed. Then 
Magellan and his company returned to the ships, 
being escorted to the beach by their royal 
host. , 

In the afternoon a ceremony not less curious 
and impressive was performed. This was the 
baptism of the queen of Sebu, and the dusky 
ladies of her court. One of the priests, accom- 
panied by Pigafetta and some others, went on 
shore, and were met in the open space by 



I76 MAGELLAN. 

the queen and her companions. These were led 
upon the platform, where the queen was con- 
ducted to a cushioned seat. She was young. and 
pretty, and was arrayed in a black and white 
robe ; her mouth and nails were very red, and she 
wore on her head a large hat made of palm- 
leaves, surmounted with a sort of crown, also 
made of palm-leaves. 

The priest, in the midst of a large multitude of 
Sebu men and women, who looked on with ex- 
cited interest, approached the queen, and held 
up before her a small wooden image of the Virgin 
and Child, and also a cross. The queen seemed 
impressed with these, and through the interpre- 
ter declared, her willingness to become a Chris- 
tian and to be baptized. The priests therefore 
sprinkled water on her raven locks, and called 
her by the name of Joan, after the Spanish 
king's mother. Her daughter, a young girl of 
fourteen, who advanced very timidly up the 
steps, was next in like manner received into the 
Church, being called Catherine ; and the queen 
of Mazzava was baptized as Isabella. 

As the queen was withdrawing she begged the 
priest to give her "the little wooden boy," mean- 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 177 

ing the image of Christ, to put in place of her idols, 
which she promised to destroy. This the priest 
did willingly. Many years after, on the return of 
the Spaniards to Sebu with missionaries, they 
found the little image still in the town, and the 
natives worshipping it as an idol ; whereupon the 
missionaries taught them its true significance, 
blessed it, and had it placed in the Christian 
church that was built. From having found this 
image there, these Spanish missionaries named 
the place, " the City of Jesus," by which it is still 
known. 

Before the shades of night had fallen, no less 
than eight hundred natives, including the royal 
family and the court, had been baptized, and the 
country had become, in name at least, a Chris- 
tian one ; and Magellan thought well to celebrate 
so remarkable a conversion by festivities in the 
evening. By the brilliant light of the moon, the 
king, queen, and court of Sebu came down to the 
beach, whither Magellan had caused one of his 
cannon to be brought ; it was fired off on the 
waves ; and now that the barbarians knew what 
it meant, and that they need not be frightened, 
they listened with delight, with much shouting, 



178 MAGELLAN. 

capering, and dancing about, to the sudden shocks 
and echoing reverberations. 

Magellan did not confine the baptisms to the 
first day ; but every day after that, for more than 
a week, the ceremony was performed over crowds 
of natives who flocked to receive it. It was a 
strange sight to see the groups of dark islanders, 
with their painted faces and palm-leaf aprons, 
kneeling at the feet of the priests, and with 
amazed and wondering eyes watching his every ac- 
tion ; and, their turn over, scampering down 
the steps, and dancing wildly about on the sward, 
and under the wide-spreading trees. It is not 
probable that any of them got a clear conception 
of what it was to be a Christian. They only 
knew that their king had accepted the new re- 
ligion ; they felt awe towards the Spaniards, 
whom they looked upon as more than mortal ; 
their barbaric fondness for show and ceremony 
was gratified by the stately rite which they saw 
the priests going through ; and they cared little, 
apparently, for their own rude wooden gods and 
goddesses. 

A cross was now set up in the centre of the 
town ; and every day mass was said near it, which 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. I/O, 

Magellan usually himself attended, explaining, 
through the Malay interpreter, such points in the 
Christian religion as he thoughjt he could make 
his benighted hearers understand. 

One day, the queen of Sebu came to hear mass 
in all her state. She was attired in black: and 
white, and wore a long silk veil with gold stripes, 
flowing down gracefully over her shoulders. Be- 
fore her went three young girls, each carrying 
one of the queen's palm-leaf hats. Following the 
queen, flocked a great number of women of rank, 
wearing smaller veils, and hats above them. Other- 
wise, they only wore a palm-leaf apron about 
their waists; while their long black hair fell in 
luxuriant clusters over their shoulders to their 
knees. 

The queen approached the altar, and knelt be- 
fore it, and then took her place on a large silk- 
embroidered ottoman ; while her chief ladies sur- 
rounded her in a semi-circle. Magellan advancing 
to her, gently sprinkled over her and her com- 
panions some rose-water and musk, which they 
sniffed eagerly, as if much pleased by the per- 
fume; and then mass was said by the priests. 

On another occasion, Magellan resolved that, 



l80 MAGELLAN. 

at the mass, the king of Sebu should, with all 
due formality, swear allegiance to the king of 
Spain. This ceremony, he thought, should be 
made as impressive as possible. The king made 
his appearance at the appointed hour, in a long 
silk robe, with which Magellan had provided 
him ; and with him came his two brothers, and 
many of his principal courtiers. These being 
ranged in a row on seats before the altar, Magel- 
lan, standing before an image of the Virgin, 
drew his sword, and holding it aloft, called upon 
the king to take the oath to be ever faithful and 
true to the Spanish sovereign. The king bowed 
his head, and repeated, in his own tongue, the 
words of the oath that Magellan offered him. 
Magellan then affectionately embraced him, at 
the same time saying that when a man took 
such an oath as that, he should rather die than 
fail to keep it. In his turn, he swore to be al- 
ways faithful, to be true to the king of Sebu, in 
the name of the Virgin and of King Charles. 
Then, turning to his men, Magellan ordered them 
to bring forth a splendid velvet chair; this he 
presented to the swarthy monarch. 

"Wherever you go," said Magellan, "have 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 151 

this throne borne before you, by your attend- 
ants, as a sign of your power and sovereignty." 

In return, and as a token that he would keep 
his oath, the king presented Magellan with some 
large gold rings, for the ears, ringers, and ankles, 
all of which were set with roughly-cut precious 
stones. : 

A day or two after, Magellan was visiting the' 
town, and going ' about in company with the 
king, when, on reaching one of the rude native 
temples, he saw, to his disgust, that the idols 
were still in their places, and that the people 
were worshipping them. Turning sharply to his 
royal companion, he asked him what this meant ? 

"You have promised," he said, " to destroy 
these idols. Why have you not done so ?' 

The king replied that he intended to burn the 
idols ; but that one of his nephews, a valiant 
warrior, lay very ill, and that they were praying 
to the idols to restore him to health. 

"If you wish to see him well again," rejoined 
Magellan, " you will at once burn all these fool- 
ish idols, which can do nothing for him ; and you 
will cause your sick nephew to be baptized. I 
will wager my head that he will then speedily 



1 82 MAGELLAN. 

recover." So great was Magellan's faith in 
miracles ! 

" It shall be done," was the king's reply. 

Thereupon, a solemn procession was formed, 
which repaired to the sick prince's house. The 
prince was, indeed, very low. He could neither 
speak nor move; his eyes stared unmeaningly at the 
priests, nor did he seem to recognize any one or 
anything. He was carefully lifted from the soft 
mat on which he lay, into a sitting posture ; and 
was thus baptized. Two of his wives and his 
ten children also submitted to the rite. 

Not very long after, Magellan approached the 
sick man, and addressed him in a few words of 
his own language. The prince slowly moved his 
head, and muttered something. Magellan applied 
some brandy to his lips. In a few moments 
the invalid grew so much better that he could 
move freely, and talk quite rationally ; and from 
that time he grew gradually better. 

This incident was hailed by all the Spaniards 
as a great miracle ; and they took care to im- 
press its meaning, as they interpreted it, upon 
the minds of the natives. 

It happened that some of the native old women, 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. I83 

who had refused to be converted, had concealed 
an idol in the sick prince's house, thinking that 
this would restore him to health. On his recov- 
ery, the prince discovered the idol, hid behind 
some mats in a corner. He forthwith brought it 
out, and had it burned in presence of the king 
and all his subjects. Not content with this — for 
he himself was fully persuaded that the Chris- 
tians had performed a miracle on him — he 
set fire to the temples that stood on the sea- 
shore ; while the people gathered in crowds to 
see the conflagration, shouted loudly, and aided 
him in his work of destruction. The idols thus 
burned were made of wood, and were curved in 
shape, being hollowed out behind ; they had 
large faces, painted, with four large teeth, like 
those of a wild boar ; their legs and arms were 
stretched out horizontally, and their feet turned 
upwards, like the feet of the Chinese. They 
were, indeed, hideous-looking objects. 

While Magellan was at Sebu, a very curious 
ceremony was performed by the natives. This 
was what was called " the sacrifice of the swine," 
or " blessing the pig." Their mode of blessing the 
pig was an odd one, as will be seen ; and Magel- 



I84 MAGELLAN. 

Ian and his companions witnessed the perform- 
ance with much interest. 

The whole population gathered in or about the 
large open space in the centre of the town, which 
evidently served as the spot where all public 
ceremonies took place. The king and queen sat 
on cushions raised on a platform ; and Magellan 
and his captains were stationed on either side of 
the royal couple. Presently a loud, banging 
noise was heard, and a number of the natives 
appeared, violently thumping upon tambours, or 
drums. They were followed by others, who bore 
large dishes, two of which were filled with cakes 
of rice and cooked millet, and roast fish, and the 
third with cloths and strips of palm bark. 

One of the cloths was spread on the ground, 
before the king; and two old women now made 
their entrance; fantastically dressed, and vigor- 
ously blowing upon rude reed trumpets. These 
old women, stepping upon the carpet, and turn- 
ing to the sun, made that luminary a profound 
obeisance; then taking the other cloths that had 
been brought, they arrayed themselves in them. 
One twisted a cloth about her head, so that the 
knots formed two horns, on either side ; having 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 185 

done which she began to dance and sing, and 
stretch out her arms towards the sun. 

The other, attiring herself in the palm cloths, 
followed her companion's example, with shrill 
shrieking and wild gestures ; each tooting, every 
now and then, on her reed trumpet. While this 
was going on, a fat pink pig was brought into the 
open space, and bound securely to a stake ; upon 
which the old women began to caper around the 
poor animal, which squealed, in his terror, with 
all his might. 

The next thing the old women did was to 
make a short prayer, in low, mumbling voices, to 
the sun. Then one of them — the first who had 
appeared — took from an attendant a cup of wine, 
which she handed to her companion. The latter 
took it and raised it three or four times to her 
lips, as if to drink it ; but always withdrew it, 
and resumed her droning prayer. At last, all of 
a sudden, she dashed the wine on the poor pig, 
which squealed more frantically than ever. 

Throwing away the empty cup, the old woman 
now seized a long limber lance, with a point 
made of a sharpened fish-bone, and leaped from 
end to end of the carpet, brandishing the lance 



1 86 



MAGELLAN. 



and gnashing her teeth as she went. Approach- 
ing the pig, she made thrusts with the lance, as 
if to plunge it into him ; but withdrew it again, 
and resumed her strange dance. Pretty soon, 
however, she carried her threat into execution ; 
for, poising the lance a moment in her hand, and 
with rapid glance taking perfect aim, she shot it 
straight through the quivering creature's heart. 
Withdrawing it at once, she retired ; whereupon 
two male natives seized the pig, closed the 
wound, and dressed it with herbs. The old 
woman who had done the deed now took a 
lighted torch, and capered about, holding it in 
her mouth ; while her companion, dipping her 
lance in the pig's blood, carried it to her husband, 
whose forehead she marked with it, doing the 
same afterwards to her other relatives. Both old 
women then took off their robes, and, retreating 
into a corner, greedily ate the rice-cakes and 
roast fish by themselves. The pig was after- 
wards roasted and eaten by the royal party ; and 
Magellan was told that pigs were only eaten in 
Sebu when they had been killed in this way. 

During all the time that the ships were at 
Sebu, the officers and sailors were wont to go on 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 187 

shore freely, whenever they pleased ; and they 
thus got on very social terms with the natives. 
They observed that their dusky friends only half- 
cooked their food, and that they spread a great 
deal of salt on it. This made them thirsty, and 
they were constantly drinking the palm wine, 
which was their favorite beverage. Their method 
of drinking was to suck the wine from the jars 
with long reeds. When they saw a knot of sail- 
ors they would run to them, and invariably beg 
them to come and have something to eat and 
drink. 

Once, when a great chief among them died, 
the Spaniards had an opportunity to witness a 
Sebu funeral. The chief's corpse was laid in a 
chest in his house ; around the chest was wound 
a cord, to which branches and leaves were tied 
in a fantastic fashion; while on the end of each 
branch, a strip of cotton was fastened. The 
principal women of the island went to the house 
of mourning and sat around the corpse, wrapped 
in white cotton shrouds from head to foot ; beside 
each woman stood a young girl, who wafted a 
palm-leaf fan before her face. Meanwhile, one of 
the women was engaged in cutting the hair from 



188 MAGELLAN. 

the dead man's head with a knife. His favorite 
wife all this time lay stretched upon his body, 
with her mouth, hands, and feet pressed close to 
his. As the woman concluded her hair-cutting, 
she broke into a low, dismal, wailing song, which 
the others after awhile caught up. The attendants 
on the mourners then took procelain vases with 
burning embers on them, upon which they kept 
sprinkling myrrh, benzoin, and other perfumes, 
that formed a cloud of incense in the room. 

These ceremonies and mournings continued 
for several days; meanwhile, the body was 
anointed with oil of camphor, to preserve it ; and 
at the end of the mourning period, it was solemnly 
deposited in a kind of tomb, made of wooden 
logs, in the neighboring forest. 

Magellan was delighted with the success which 
attended his stay at Sebu, which he had prolonged 
far more than he had intended. It was now time 
to bid adieu to the friendly king, and proceed on 
his voyage. As active preparations for setting 
out were being made, however, an incident oc- 
curred which induced Magellan to change his 
plans, and which was destined to bring a fatal 
misfortune on the fleet. 



THE BARBARIANS CONVERTED. 1 89 

The king of Sebu ruled over several islands in 
the neighborhood of that on which he resided. 
One of these was Matan, only two or three 
leagues away. It was a beautiful island, and 
contained a large and warlike population ; and 
among the chiefs who, under the king, held 
authority there, was one named Cilapulapu. 
Just as Magellan was about to sail, another chief 
in Matan named Zula, came in all haste to Sebu 
with a message that Cilapulapu, enraged at the 
conversion of the king and his subjects to Chris- 
tianity, had rebelled, and had incited the people 
to rise in revolt. At Matan, he said, all were 
actively preparing for war against their sov- 
ereign. Magellan, on hearing this, resolved 
that the least he could do would be to remain, 
and defend the converted king from the violence 
of his new enemies. 



I9O MAGELLAN. 




CHAPTER XIII. 

A hero's death. 

|AGELLAN, anxious to confirm the 
friendly relations which now existed be* 
tween himself and the king of Sebu, 
made up his mind that he and his valiant soldiers 
should alone bear the brunt of the coming con- 
flict; that the sole peril and glory should be 
theirs of subduing the rebel Cilapulapu. He 
therefore told the king that he himself would 
command the attack upon Matan ; and that while 
the king might, if he chose, follow him in his 
boats, he must refrain from taking part in the 
fray. 

Three of the ships' largest boats were got 
ready in all haste. On the prow of each was 
placed a cannon, and sixty of Magellan's bravest 
and most skilful warriors were detailed to go 
upon the expedition. These were all armed with 



A HERO S DEATH. I9I 

corslets ajid helmets, and carried guns and 
swords. Magellan ordered that during his ab- 
sence the fleet should remain under the command 
of Captain Serrano. 

It was just at midnight that the three boats set 
out for Matan. The night was calm, the sea was 
still, and the heavens were starlit. Magellan 
himself went in the foremost boat, and issued 
his commands in a quick, low voice, as the men 
rowed swiftly along. His object in starting at 
midnight was to surprise the enemy, if possible, 
and effect a landing on the coast of the island 
before the people there saw him. In the rear of 
the three boats went a number of the native 
canoes, of one of which the king himself was an 
occupant. 

Three hours before daylight, the Spaniards ar- 
rived off the shores of Matan ; it was light enough, 
however, for Magellan to perceive that the alarm 
of his coming had already been given. Near the 
shore, on a hillock, was posted a formidable array 
of barbarians. Magellan could just discern their 
long wooden shields, and the moving mass of the 
savage soldiers. Some traitor had, doubtless, 
escaped from Sebu in time to apprize Cilapulapu 



I9 2 MAGELLAN. 

of his intended attack; and that cunning chief 
had lost no time in preparing to receive him. It 
was a strange and alarming sight, to see the 
dense ranks of the dusky figures, who, it was not 
difficult to perceive, were quite prepared to de- 
fend the island. When the boats came near, they 
set up a wild shout, and shook their shields and 
spears in token of their hostile temper. 

Magellan had taken the precaution to bring 
with him a very intelligent Moor, who knew 
the Malay tongue (which was spoken in all these 
islands), and who had before been at Matan. 
This Moor he resolved to send ashore to the 
warlike host, with a message of peace and par- 
don if they would even now lay down their arms, 
and submit to the authority of their lawful mon- 
arch. As the water for some distance from 
the shore was very shallow and rocky, the boats 
could not approach nearer than the spot where 
they had stopped ; and the Moor was obliged to 
jump in up to his thighs, and wade to the dry land. 
As he drew away from the boats, his movements 
were watched with breathless interest. Would 
the barbarians attack him, when they saw him 
coming alone? Would they recognize him as a 



A HERO S DEATH.. 193 

Moor, or would they take him for a Spaniard? 
If they allowed him to approach and hold parley 
with them, how would they receive his message? 
Would the Moor himself turn traitor, and reveal 
the numbers and arms of Magellan's men, or 
would he hold his own counsel, and prove him- 
self a faithful envoy ? 

These questions rapidly crossed Magellan's 
mind as, peering through the gloom, he saw the 
Moor's stalwart form receding and fading as he 
neared the beachy shore. They were quickly 
answered by the events which followed. The 
Moor advanced up the sloping hill; the dusky 
soldiers made no movement against him. They 
seemed to be surprised to see him coming, and 
not at all afraid of him. Presently he seemed to 
melt into their mass, and was no longer visible. 

His stay among them lasted about half an 
hour, during which the Spaniards watched eagerly 
for his reappearance. The boats rested quite still 
on their oars ; the silence was profound. At 
last he emerged from the throng of the island- 
ers, slowly descended the hill again, and waded 
out to Magellan's boat 

Magellan impatiently awaited his report. The 



194 • MAGELLAN. 

Moor said that he had been received in a friendly 
manner, and had been conducted to the chief 
Cilapulapu. He had then delivered Magel- 
lan's message, that, if he would return to his al- 
legiance, all should be forgiven, and the Span- 
iards would withdraw ; otherwise, the rebels 
would soon feel the sting of their lances. Cilapu- 
lapu had replied : 

" I will not submit ; if the white strangers have 
lances, so have we, though ours are only lances 
of reeds. Moreover, we have wooden shields 
hardened by fire. Let the strangers beware. I 
only ask that they will not attack us by night. 
We expect reinforcements, and wish to meet the 
enemy on even terms. Let them wait till day- 
light, and then assail us as soon as they please." 
Magellan perceived, by this insolent message, 
that gentle means would not be availing. The 
rebels must be attacked and conquered. He 
saw, too, that Cilapulapu's request that he should 
not attack by night, was a cunning device by 
which he hoped to induce the Spaniards to do 
that which he asked them not to do. His real 
desire was that they should make the assault 
at night ; and the reason of this afterwards came 



a hero's death. 195 

to light. Between the shore and their camp and 
village, the rebels had dug a long, deep ditch. 
If Magellan had landed and advanced upon them 
at once, while it was dark, they would have re- 
treated hastily beyond this ditch, and Magellan 
and his men would have fallen into it. 

Magellan therefore patiently waited till day- 
light. As soon as the first gray of the morning 
lit up sea and shore, and enabled him to distin- 
guish objects clearly, he gave the order to his 
little band of troops to get out of the boats and 
wade rapidly to the beach. By the light of the 
dawn the enemy could be more distinctly seen; 
they appeared less formidable than when en- 
veloped by the shroud of night, but they be- 
trayed numbers by no means to be despised. 
They seemed, moreover, perfectly confident and 
resolute; and instead of making good their re- 
treat when they saw the Spaniards preparing to 
go ashore, stood to their position, and were 
apparently indifferent to the advance of their 
assailants. 

Forty-nine of the Spaniards were designated to 
make the attack, the remaining eleven being 
ordered to stay by the boats. Magellan himself 



I96 MAGELLAN. 

was the first to leap into the water. Drawing 
his sword, he gave the word of command, and in 
another instant his little force, their swords in 
their right hands, and their shields borne on their 
left arms, had gathered around him. Among 
them was his friend, and afterwards his historian, 
the Italian Pigafetta. At first their progress 
through the water was slow, for it was up to 
their waists. As Magellan boldly went forward, 
he looked carefully about for a good landing- 
place ; for the beach was interspersed with masses 
of jagged rock, and it was necessary to avoid the 
hill on which Cilapulapu was posted, and which 
sloped to the water's edge. As he advanced, the 
rebel chief himself, a man of gigantic stature, 
and decked out with brilliant feathers and paint, 
appeared at the brow of the hill, making defiant 
gestures at Magellan, and exhorting his followers 
to hold fast to their position. 

An open strand was soon reached ; and now 
the Spaniards stood, in close, resolute ranks, on 
the smooth sand. Magellan did not lose a mo- 
ment in hesitation or delay. Forming his soldiers, 
he at once marched forward towards the hill. 

But Cilapulapu, who had at first evidently in- 



A HEBjD S DEATH. 197 

tended to await the assault of his foe, changed 
his mind at the last moment ; for no sooner did 
he see Magellan approaching the hill than, brand- 
ishing his spear, and giving a loud, fierce whoop, 
he rushed down the slope, followed by his forces. 
They were not less than fifteen hundred, against 
forty-nine ; and as they descended, Magellan per- 
ceived that they were divided into three bodies. 
He had no time to note anything further, for in 
another moment they were close upon him. As 
they came on, they made a horrible noise with 
their shrieking and shouting, and leaped about 
like so many lunatics. Two of their companies 
separated to the right and left, with the intent 
to attack the Spaniards on their flanks; while 
the third advanced directly in their front. Ma- 
gellan, dividing his little group into two compa- 
nies, continued to go forward to meet his savage 
foes. He knew no fear, and at this critical mo- 
ment he felt all the wild thrill of conflict. Then 
halting, he ordered his musketrymen and cross- 
bowmen to fire. 

Unhappily, neither bullets nor arrows seemed 
to take serious effect. The bullets, for the most 
part, whizzed harmlessly over the heads of the 



IOS MAGELLAN. 

barbarians ; while the arrows struck against the 
wooden shields, or passing through them, inflicted 
but slight wounds. At first, when the Spaniards 
opened fire upon them, the rebels paused in their 
headlong career, as if stunned by the noise of the 
volley, and to see what effect it would have. 
But when they perceived their ranks still un- 
broken, and but one or two of their comrades 
lying on the ground, they pressed forward more 
fiercely, and with more hideous screams than 
before. 

Their arrows, javelins, spears, and stones, now 
fell like a hailstorm upon the Spaniards ; and 
they found themselves, of a sudden, very hard 
pressed. With difficulty they avoided the deadly 
points of the savage weapons ; they could scarcely 
hold their ground long enough to load and fire. 
It was clear that it must soon come to. a hand-to 
hand fight. 

Cilapulapu soon easily distinguished the daunt- 
less leader of his foes. Magellan's finer dress 
marked him out ; his air of command betrayed 
him ; and his intrepid valor, as he fought at the 
very head of his men, aroused the barbaric chiefs 
wrath to its fiercest pitch. He ordered his men 



A HERO S DEATH I99 

to aim at the Spanish captain their heaviest and 
deadliest javelins ; and it was a miracle that Ma- 
gellan was not instantly overwhelmed by them. 

At this moment Magellan perceived, for the 
first time, that his men were quite near some of 
the native huts. He ordered them to set fire to 
these ; and soon ten or twelve of the huts were 
in a blaze. This redoubled the fury of the bar- 
barians, a number of whom rushed towards the 
men who had caused the conflagration and 
frantically assailed them. Two of the Spaniards 
fell, pierced by the javelins. The others made all 
haste to rejoin the main body of their comrades. 

Cilapulapu, seeing that while the bodies of the 
Spaniards were effectually protected by their 
shields, but that their legs were exposed, ordered 
his troops to aim low. The- savages now 
swarmed on all sides of the Spaniards, and hurled 
perfect avalanches of arrows and spears upon 
them. Magellan had hoped to use the cannon 
which he had brought in the boats ; but, besides 
that the boats were obliged to anchor out of range 
of the enemy, it would now have been impossi- 
ble to fire the cannon without endangering his 
own men, as well as those of the Matan chief. 



200 MAGELLAN. 

Magellan and his men were soon at close quar, 
ters with the furious host of savages ; he him, 
self was still the foremost, fighting with lion-like 
and desperate valor. Lame as he was, he had 
herculean strength in his arms ; he dealt crushing 
blows right and left with his long sword, and 
native after native fell howling and dying beneath 
them. 

It was not long, however, before the over- 
whelming numbers of the natives began to tell. 
They fairly crowded the Spaniards back by their 
very multitude. The Spaniards were forced to 
retire towards the shore, fighting as they 
went, and retreating as slowly as possible. 

Of a sudden, Magellan fell to the earth with 
a cry of pain ; but before his soldiers could as- 
sist him, he was on his feet again. A poisoned 
arrow had entered his left leg. He stooped and 
pulled it out, and launched it back at the on- 
rushing foe; and his sword continued to do as 
sanguinary service as before. The natives had 
now come near enough to use the arms they had 
already hurled, over again. They picked up the 
spears and arrows that lay strewn on the ground 
where the Spaniards had stood, and again rained 



A HERO S DEATH. 201 

them down upon their adversaries. Twice Ma- 
gellan's helmet was knocked off his head ; but 
fortunately his head itself was left unscathed. 
As coolly as if he had been standing on the deck 
of bis flag-ship, he bent down each time, picked 
up his helmet, fastened it in its place, and went 
on fighting. 

For more than an hour this terrific battle raged 
with unabating fury. Once more the Spaniards 
had made a desperate rally, and grimly resolved 
to stand to their ground at all hazards. They 
huddled close together, so as to face the enemy 
on each side ; now and then a Spaniard would 
fall and writhe in agony, when a poisoned shaft 
entered and tortured his flesh; but for every 
Spaniard that fell, at least a half-a-dozen natives 
were laid low. The contest now raged at the 
very water's edge; and every moment a splash 
would be heard, and a dusky warrior would sink 
beneath the water. 

The strength of the Spaniards was, all this 
while, slowly but surely giving out. It was 
evident that defeat and death stared them in the 
face. But their valor knew no shrinking, and 
even those whose blood streamed over their 



202 MAGELLAN. 

faces, and from the wounds in their arms and 
legs, fought doggedly on. 

At last, however, a fatal event occurred, which 
speedily decided the conflict in favor of the ban 
baric Cilapulapu. As Magellan was standing in 
front of his men, vigorously cutting and slashing 
on either side of him, a native rushed up and 
plunged a lance full in his face. The blood at 
once gushed from the wound, and covered the 
heroic Admiral's cheeks; but he rushed forward, 
seized his assailant's lance, and plunged it through 
his body, so that the point emerged from the 
other side. At this moment Magellan received 
another javelin wound in his right arm. He tried 
to pull the lance out of his foe's body, but, from 
the weakness of his arm, failed to do so; he then 
made an attempt to raise his sword, but found 
himself too weak. He staggered, and was about 
to fall, when an enormous savage, raising aloft a 
large scimetar, brought it with deadly force upon 
his left leg. Magellan sank down upon his face; 
and now a multitude of infuriated savages fell 
upon him. They ran him through and through 
with their spears and lances, and crushed his head 
in with stones ; and without a word or a groan, 



A HERO S DEATH. 203 

the great discoverer and warrior breathed his last. 

When the Spanish soldiers saw Magellan 
stretched upon the ground, all but seven or 
eight of the most valiant ran into the water, and 
hastened out towards the boats. The little band 
that remained continued to struggle desperately, 
but it was of no avail ; and some of them found 
noble deaths within a few feet of the lifeless 
form of their brave chief. 

Those who escaped into the water succeeded 
in reaching the boats in safety. The men who 
had remained in charge of them were overcome 
with grief to hear of the death of Magellan ; they 
wept bitterly at the news, and vowed vengeance 
upon the barbarians who had thus deprived them 
of their commander. The boats drew up in a 
line alongside of each other, and the victorious 
savages having now poured down upon the shore, 
and some of them having even ventured into the 
water, the cannon were loaded and fired at them. 
Repeated volleys, issuing from the hoarse throats 
of the big guns, awoke the echoes ; while the lesser 
volleys of the men's muskets aided them in their 
havoc. Many of the natives fell shrieking into 
the water ; the rest retreated to the land, and to 



204 MAGELLAN. 

a secure distance beyond range of the cannon. 

It was useless for the boats to remain any 
longer at Matan. The enemy were in too formida- 
ble numbers, even if the boats of the king him- 
self, which had been moored all this time about a 
mile off, in the rear, had joined those of the 
Spaniards in a new attack. The latter, therefore, 
slowly and mournfully pulled back to where the 
king was, and apprized him of the irreparable 
loss they had sustained. The sable monarch, on 
hearing it, threw himself back, raised his hands 
heavenward, and then, leaning forward on his 
knees, rocked to and fro, crying and moaning. 
The Spaniards were soon to learn how sincere 
this show of sorrow was. 

The surprise and grief of the captains and 
crews of the fleet, at the intelligence brought by 
the boats, can scarcely be described. It was a 
dismal, dreary day for every soul on board. The 
wanderers were now without a guide ; they had 
been deprived of him who had won their absolute 
trust, upon whose wisdom and courage they had 
surely counted, who had shared their every hard- 
ship, and had won the love of all, since the mu- 
tiny, by his kindness, his leniency towards their 



A HERO S DEATH. 205 

faults, his cheering words when they had been 
discouraged, and his fatherly care for the hum- 
blest of them. 

Thus died the brave-souled, great-hearted, and 
indomitable Fernan Magellan, on Saturday, April 
17th, I52i,at the early age of forty-one. Rarely 
has a more generous and noble character appeared 
in the pages of history. Magellan, after having 
braved mighty tempests, having undergone every 
danger of the sea, having resolutely pursued his 
purpose in spite of all obstacles, having with 
firm and stern hand put down the revolt of Cartha- 
gena, and having discovered the world-renowned 
straits, and crossed and given its name to the 
Pacific, was not destined to fulfil that other am- 
bition of his, to make the circuit of the globe. 
He was fated to fall in the midst of his great 
voyage, a victim to the fury of savages, in de- 
fence of a potentate who had been friendly to 
him, and had consented to become a Christian. 
But, dying even at his early age, Magellan had 
done enough to win for his name immortal re- 
nown. He had at least shown the way around the 
world ; so that from his time, the ships of all 
nations might follow in his track, and pass from 



200 MAGELLAN. 

nation to nation, in both hemispheres, by water. 

We have seen how, under every circumstance, 
he was heroic and valiant in his action and bear- 
ing. He knew not fear, either of men or of the 
elements; was constant to his end in the worst 
fortunes, and never once despaired of achieving it. 
He did not falter when death and famine stared 
him in the face. He was loyal to his adopted 
sovereign, to his comrades, and himself. 

Unlike Pizarro, and many other voyagers of 
his time, his ambition was a nobler one than that 
of the greed of gain ; nor was it confined to win- 
ning fame and honor for himself. He aspired to 
confer great benefits upon man. He exulted in 
the thought that he might serve Christianity and 
civilization. He would find unknown pathways 
on the seas ; he would plant the cross in heathen 
and idolatrous lands ; and these high and unselfish 
aims he pursued with an ardor and intrepidity 
not surpassed by any of the world's conquerers 
and heroes* 

Magellan was not wantonly cruel. He was 
never known to deal harshly with the innocent. 
To suppress the mutiny of St. Julian, to execute 
its ring-leaders, were acts of sheer necessity and 



A HERO S DEATH. 20y 

self-preservation ; but the mutiny subdued and 
its chiefs executed, he was mild and lenient with 
their misguided followers. Towards his sailors 
he was indulgent, generous, and considerate. He 
cheerfully shared their hardships. He tenderly 
cared for the sick. He overlooked their lighter 
faults ; he was loth to punish even their more 
serious offences. He even gave the savage Cila- 
pulapu a chance to repent, before attacking him. 
He was kind and generous to all, high and low, 
alike. No man was more deeply beloved by his 
friends and his inferiors. 

The achievement by which he is best known, 
and which has perpetuated his name, was the 
discovery of the Straits, that labyrinthine, dan- 
gerous passage between the southernmost point 
in South America and Terra del Fuego. Even 
now, it is not the safest thing in the world for a 
ship to steer its way through it ; how much more 
difficult, when its outlet was unknown, and when 
the navigator had only the clumsy nautical con- 
trivances of three centuries ago ! 

" Forever sacred to the hero's fame, 
These foaming straits shall bear his deathless name. " 



208 MAGELLAN- 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE KING S TREACHERY. 




ITH the death of their brave commander, 
new troubles came upon the Spaniards. 
For awhile, all was confusion in the 
fleet. There was now no head; and it became 
necessary to replace Magellan by a new admiral. 
Two of the captains seemed, above all the other 
officers, best fitted to succeed to this office. One 
was Juan Serrano, who had proved not only a 
courageous and resolute man, but an able navi- 
gator, and a faithful friend of Magellan. The 
other was Edward Barbosa, a Portuguese, the 
brother of Magellan's wife, and the man whom, 
beyond all the rest in the fleet, Magellan had most 
thoroughly trusted. 

The choice at last fell upon Barbosa ; and no 
sooner had he received the command of the fleet, 
than he won the allegiance and confidence alike 



THE KINGS TREACHERY. 20Q 

of the sailors and 'of the officers. His first pur- 
pose was to secure, if possible, the remains of 
Magellan, that the dead hero might be buried 
with all honor, and his grave consecrated by the 
rites of the Church. The king of Sebu, who 
seemed overwhelmed by his friend's death, will- 
ingly agreed to make the attempt to recover his 
body. He sent a boat with envoys to Matan, 
who implored Cilapulapu to deliver it up ; at the 
same time promising that if he would do so, he 
should have as much merchandize as he chose to 
take. 

Cilapulapu promptly made an insolent reply. 
"He would on no account," he said, " give up 
the body; he desired to keep it as a monument 
of his triumph." 

Barbosa was therefore obliged, with sad reluct- 
ance, to abandon the hope of burying Magellan 
in a manner worthy of his rank and character ; 
and now there seemed to be no reason why the 
fleet should longer tarry at Sebu. Barbosa was 
anxious to reach the long-wished-for Moluccas, 
which, he knew, were not far off ; and then to 
sail home, as quickly as possible, by the way of 
the Cape of Good Hope. 



210 MAGELLAN. 

He ordered the goods which still lay in the 
warehouse at Sebu, to be brought on board the 
ships as quietly as possible ; and so skilfully was 
this done, that the king of Sebu did not suspect 
what was really going on. 

Various incidents, indeed, had now happened, 
which made Barbosa suspect the king's sincerity. 
He knew that, immediately after Magellan's de- 
feat and death, Cilapulapu had sent the king a 
defiant message, threatening to invade Sebu 
with an invincible force, if he did not at once 
break with the Spaniards, and renounce Chris- 
tianity. Barbosa saw that this threat had greatly 
terrified the king, and had induced him to assume 
a less cordial manner towards the fleet ; still, he 
was profuse in his expressions of friendship, and 
was far from offering the Spaniards any open 
affront. 

It seemed prudent to Barbosa, therefore, that 
the fleet should set sail suddenly, before the king 
knew that it was going, and before he could serve 
the Spaniards, if such was really his disposition, 
an ill turn. 

Before he could put his project into execution, 
it was foiled by the treachery of a man who had 



THE KING'S TREACHERY. 211 

hitherto been fidelity itself. This was the Malay 
interpreter, whom the Spaniards had named Henry. 
As soon as he had learned of Magellan's death, 
Henry had seemed overwhelmed with grief. He 
would go off to the further end of the flag-ship, 
wrap himself up in his* mat, rock himself to and 
fro, and refuse all consolation. Barbosa allowed 
him to indulge his grief for awhile. But time 
was precious, and the Malay's assistance was ab- 
solutely necessary in getting the goods on board. 
Barbosa therefore spoke to him gently, and told 
him he must go on shore with the men. Henry 
would not stir, upon which Barbosa addressed 
him more roughly. 

" You must know," said he, " that you are not 
free, though your master is dead. I am going 
to carry you to Spain, and deliver you to Dona 
Beatrix, the Admiral's widow. Meanwhile, if 
you do not get up quickly, and go ashore to your 
work, I will have you flogged." 

The Malay upon this slowly rose, and walked 
sullenly away ; he leaped into one of the boats and 
went ashore. He was very angry in his heart at 
Barbosa's threatening words, and resolved to be 
revenged on him. Slipping away from the rest, 



212 MAGELLAN. 

while they were usy getting out the goods, he 
hid himself in the thicket, and soon made his 
way to the mansion of the king. To him he im- 
parted the news that the ships were preparing to 
set sail ; and he urged the king to make haste 
and attack them, so that he might get possession 
both of the ships and their cargoes. The king 
listened intently to what the treacherous Malay 
said, and made up his mind to betray his guests. 
He was all the more willing to do this, as he had 
fully resolved to give up Christianity, and to make 
peace with his rebellious subjects in Matan. 
The Malay then returned to help the sailors, say- 
ing nothing, of course, of his visit to the king. 

The next day, Barbosa received a message from 
the king, that the jewels he designed as a present 
to the king of Spain were ready to be delivered 
to him ; and inviting Barbosa with a number of 
his principal officers and comrades, to dine with 
him that afternoon. 

Barbosa, though he had some suspicions of the 
king, determined to accept the invitation. With 
twenty-four others, among whom were an astrolo- 
ger named San Martin, Carvalho, the chief of 
police, and the Captain Serrano, and all of whom 



THE KINGS TREACHERY. 21$ 

took care to go armed to the teeth, he proceeded 
on shore at the appointed time. 

The king met them in the open space, with 
many smiles and grimaces of welcome, and tak- 
ing Barbosa by the hand, led him into the house. 
The other Spaniards, with a host of native cour- 
tiers and soldiers, followed. At the table, which 
was bountifully spread, Barbosa was seated at 
the king's right hand, a custom taught the na- 
tives by Magellan. 

For a time the feast went on merrily. Barbosa 
and his comrades, who, on first coming, had 
taken care to be on their guard, and had cau- 
tiously watched every movement of the royal at- 
tendants seemed at last to forget their suspi- 
cions, and gave themselves wholly up to the good 
cheer of the occasion. While they were thus 
absorbed in the good things, the king of a sud- 
den sprang from his seat, and making a signal to 
his soldiers, plunged a dagger deep into Bar- 
bosa' s breast. At the same moment, each Span- 
iard was ferociously assailed by his dusky neigh- 
bors, and fell bleeding and dying at "the foot of 
the festive board. The surprise and slaughter 
were as sudden as they were dastardly. Only 



214 MAGELLAN. 

one of the party — Serrano — escaped for the mo- 
ment the fate of his brave comrades. He suc- 
ceeded in felling two of his assailants, and leap- 
ing over their bodies, jumped to the ground, 
and ran, wounded and bleeding, through the 
open space down towards the shore. 

But the swifter feet of the enraged natives 
caught up with him, just as he reached the strand, 
and was screaming to the ships for help with 
outstretched arms. The men on board looked 
at him in speechless terror and amazement. 
Meanwhile the savages caught him, bound him, 
and dragged him some distance along the shore. 
They offered the Spaniards to release Serrano, if 
they would give up two cannon, but it is proba- 
ble that their offer was not heard ; for in all haste 
the ships weighed anchor, and were soon scud- 
ding out of the bay. Serrano, as he saw his only 
hope thus vanishing, fell upon the ground with a 
shriek of despair, and was soon stabbed to death 
by the javelin and dagger-thrusts of his blood- 
thirsty captors. 

After this barbarous and dastardly deed, the 
king of Sebu was only too ready to desert his 
Christian professions, and to make peace. with 



THE KINGS TREACHERY. 215 

Cilapulapu. All his subjects, as well, speedily 
returned to their idols ; and the little wooden 
figure of Christ was, as we have seen, afterwards 
used as a native deity. The cross which Magel- 
lan had set up was pulled down and burned. 

Meanwhile, the fleet sailed away as fast as pos- 
sible from the island where its occupants had 
witnessed so sudden a change from boundless 
hospitality to the most treacherous cruelty. 
Barbosa was dead ; and in his place, one of the 
Spanish lieutenants, named Espinosa, was chosen 
admiral, and commander of the " Trinidad." 
Serrano's post of captain was given to Sebas- 
tian del Cano, who took command of the "Vic- 
toria." 

Espinosa resolved not to turn back, but to 
still pursue the course which Magellan had 
marked out. The crews were reduced by bat- 
tle, massacre, and illness, and they could hope 
neither to cope successfully with the perfidious 
king of Sebu, nor to conduct the ships back to 
Europe by way of the Straits of Magellan. Even 
now, they found it difficult to manage, in the 
gentle waters of the Archipelago, the three ves- 
sels which still remained to them. 



2l6 



MAGELLAN. 



When, therefore, the fleet reached an island 
called Bohol, about forty miles from Matan, they 
put in at an inviting harbor, in order to settle upon 
future plans. Espinosa made up his mind that 
one of the ships must be sacrificed ; and as the 
" Conception" was the weakest and least sea- 
worthy of the three, she was doomed. Her 
cargo was transferred to the other ships, and she 
was then hauled up and burned. 

The two vessels that remained, the "Trinidad" 
and the " Victoria," soon proceeded on their way. 
They sailed southwestward, in which direction 
Espinosa knew the Moluccas lay, and passed 
many islands without stopping. On one of these, 
they observed, the inhabitants were as black as 
Ethiopians, and their appearance was too for- 
bidding to encourage the wanderers to land. 
After sailing a few days, they reached a much 
more hospitable-looking island, where the ships 
put in for wood and water. The king of the 
tribe went fearlessly on board the " Trinidad," 
and, as a token of his friendly disposition, drew 
some blood from his left hand, and smeared his 
face, breast, and the tip of his tongue with it. 
The Spaniards thought it prudent to follow his 



THE KINGS TREACHERY. 217 

example, which they did rather awkwardly ; but 
it pleased the dusky monarch very much. Es- 
pinosa, indeed, found this king so hospitable, that 
he resolved to prolong his stay. The ships en- 
tered the mouth of the river, which flowed from 
the hills of what proved to be one of the most 
beautiful islands the Spaniards had yet seen. 
This was Mindanao. The captains and sailors 
went freely on shore, and as soon as they did so 
the king and his courtiers began to sing and 
caper about, and offered them a very tempting 
meal of freshly-caught fish. 

So much confidence did the king inspire in 
Espinosa and the other officers, that they were 
easily persuaded to visit him in the town. It 
was a rash thing to do, considering the base 
treatment to which they had just been subjected 
by the king of Sebu ; but that perfidy seems to 
have been so soon forgotten. Espinosa and his 
comrades did not neglect, however, to arm them- 
selves, so as to be fully prepared for foul play. 
The town lay for the most part on the bank of 
the river, from which it straggled up a gentle 
slope, wooded with palms and many other tropi- 
cal trees. 



2l8 MAGELLAN. 

It was night when Espinosa and his party as 
cended the hill, in company with the sable king 
and his retinue ; and as they approached its 
crest, a large number of the natives came to 
meet them with blazing torches, which lit up the 
scene with a wierd, lurid glare. The figures of 
the natives looked almost terrible in the flicker- 
ing and fitful light, their painted faces and dark, 
unclothed forms standing out against the dark- 
ness. 

The king conducted his visitors within the long, 
low hut which constituted his palace ; and the first 
thing he did was to feast them. In the principal 
apartment, the Spaniards found two ravishingly 
beautiful women, with almost fair complexions, 
and exquisite forms and features, who proved to 
be two of his majesty's wives ; two of the chiefs 
attended the king inside the hut ; and the king, 
his wives, and the chiefs began at once to quaff 
long draughts of palm wine from enormous 
wooden goblets. Espinosa was prevailed on 
to imitate their example ; but Pigafetta, the 
Italian, who was of the party, thought it pru- 
dent only to sip the strong liquor. Supper fol- 
lowed, consisting mainly of very salt fish, served 



THE KINGS TREACHERY. 2IQ 

up in porcelain dishes, and of rice very much 
boiled. 

The party from the fleet remained one night 
in the king's house ; and the next morning they 
breakfasted with him, as cozily as possible, the 
food being the same as on the night before, 
Pigafetta, who no longer had the least fear of 
the king or his subjects, took a stroll after break- 
fast over the island. He found it full of mar- 
vels of vegetable and floral beauty, and resplend- 
ent with all the rich and varied growths of the 
tropics. On reaching the summit of a hill, hard 
by that on which the king's house stood, he found 
another large mansion, which, he was told by the 
natives who went with him, was the residence of 
one of the queens. He found no difficulty in 
gaining admission, and was cordially welcomed 
by its fair occupant, who was weaving a mat, 
and who made him sit beside her. She was sur- 
rounded by a number of male and female slaves, 
and there were many porcelain ornaments and 
musical instruments hanging from the walls. 
Before Pigafetta departed, the queen amused him 
by playing very loudly on some metal timbrels. 

He was returning towards the ships, when he 



220 MAGELLAN. 

was met by several of the chiefs, who offered to 
row him down the river in a long canoe. This 
offer he smilingly accepted. As they sped 
smoothly down the stream, he saw on the shore 
the bodies of three men hanging upon a tree. 
On asking what this meant, he was told that 
they were thieves, and that this was the way 
that such criminals were punished in Mindanao. 
He also saw, on the banks, and in the fields that 
he passed in the canoe, many pigs, goats, and 
fowl of various breeds. 

What surprised and dazzled Pigafetta still 
more, was the abundance of gold ornaments 
which the natives displayed. Some of the 
utensils in the king's house were of this precious 
metal; the queen had many gold rings and 
bracelets ; and gold seemed to be a common 
article, even with the natives. The chiefs in 
the canoe, as they passed along, pointed out 
several valleys to Pigafetta, telling him by signs 
that they contained many rich veins of gold ; 
but that as they had no iron implements with 
which to mine it, they could only procure it with 
labor and difficulty. 9 

Refreshed by their pleasant sojourn at Min- 



THE KINGS TREACHERY. 221 

danao, the wanderers resumed their voyage, con- 
tinuing to pass, as before, many islands, some of 
which seemed deserted, and others inhabited by 
Malay tribes. They sailed perhaps a hundred 
miles in a westerly direction, until they reached 
an island called Palawan, 

The provisions of the ships were now pretty 
much exhausted ; and Espinosa, for some unex- 
plained reason, had neglected to replenish his 
stores at Mindanao. Before reaching Palawan, 
the men had been put on short rations. It was, 
therefore, much to their relief that they saw 
another large and fruitful island rising from the 
sea ; and still greater was their delight to find 
the people of Palawan and their rulers as hos- 
pitable and well-disposed as those of the place 
they had recently left. 

The king was a very tall and imposing-looking 
man, whose countenance, when he first appeared, 
so dark was it, and so long and black his beard, 
seemed forbidding. But on going on board the 
flag-ship, his face was lit up with a smile so 
beaming and pleasant, and he seemed so sin- 
cerely rejoiced to see the strangers, that Espinosa 
and his comrades were at once put at their ease. 



222 MAGELLAN. 

Palawan proved to be and to contain all that 
the Spaniards hoped. The king was generous, 
his people were peaceable and good-natured, and 
the island abounded in good things. They found 
not only pigs and goats, but yams (like our sweet 
potatoes), large and luscious bananas, and, of 
course, plenty of rice, cocoanuts, and sugar- 
canes. The pigs were cured and stowed away 
for future use ; meanwhile the Spaniards feasted 
daily and freely with their new friends. 

The natives seemed more civilized and intelli- 
gent than those of the other islands. They had 
a great fondness for gay colors and jewelry ; and 
were wild with joy when Espinosa gave them 
some little brass bells, which they hung on their 
fingers and ears, and danced about to hear them 
jingle. 

They had, it appeared, a superstitious respect 
for cocks, which they reared with great care, and 
never ate ; but on festival days brought them 
out and made them fight each other. To one 
of these cock-fights Espinosa and his officers 
were invited. 

A week was passed at Palawan, during which 
the ships were repaired (a task in which -the na 



THE KING S TREACHERY. 223 

tives willingly helped the carpenters), provisions 
in plenty were stored, and wood and water were 
put in ; and when the strangers departed, the 
king, with a great number of his subjects, em- 
barked in a large fleet of long canoes, and attended 
the "Trinidad" and the " Victoria" far out to sea. 



224 MAGELLAN. 



CHAPTER XV. 

ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 




HE ships had not sailed southwestward 
more than thirty miles, when Espinosa, 
standing on the deck of the " Trinidad," 
which was ahead of the "Victoria," espied an island 
longer, and yet wilder and more luxuriant in its 
foliage and vegetation than any he had before seen. 
It was a bright, glowing morning in summer, and 
the tropical air was heavy with the perfume of 
fruit and flower, as a gentle breeze blew off the 
land towards the ships. 

As the island was neared, however, Espinosa, 
who resolved to land if circumstance favored it, 
saw no harbor where to enter. The shores rose 
in high and abrupt bluffs ; and in places where 
there were bays or inlets, the water near the shore 
proved so full of rocks that to approach any of 
them would have been dangerous. So he skirted 
the coast of the island all that day, and a part of 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 225 

the next ; and was surprised at its extent and at 
all he saw on the shore. Now and then groups 
of natives appeared on the bluffs, of a more 
dusky hue and wilder appearance than those at 
Palawan ; but they did not seem afraid of the 
ships, gazing at them rather with curiosity than 
with terror or hostility. 

About noon on the second day, Espinosa at 
last caught sight of a good harbor, beyond which 
the cliffs jutted far into the sea. The harbor 
was evidently at the mouth of a river; and on 
the banks of this was to be seen a large and 
prosperous-looking town. The island indeed, was 
Borneo, and the town its capital, Bruni. Bruni 
was situated on the northwest coast. 

Espinosa, who had grown bold and confident 
by the good treatment he had received since 
leaving Sebu, did not hesitate to enter the port, 
and to anchor his ships in a favorable place, 
quite near the shore. The natives crowded along 
the beach, but their demonstrations were not at 
all unfriendly. They acted as if European ships 
were not a wholly unwonted sight to them, but 
as if they were not so new as to have ceased to 
be an attractive sight. 



226 MAGELLAN. 

That night the Spaniards remained quietly in 
their ships, mounting guard, of course, lest by any 
chance the islanders should prove hostile. No 
incident, however, disturbed the quiet of the 
dark hours; and officers and crews slept soundly. 

The morning was not far advanced, when 
Espinosa saw a very handsome barge, its prow 
and stern glittering with gilt, and a white and 
blue flag fluttering from the bow, push out from 
the beach and approach the " Trinidad." The 
barge was full of gaily-dressed natives, with very 
dark skins and shaggy hair, who were playing 
upon pipes and drums. After the barge came 
several smaller boats, which appeared to be fish- 
ing smacks. The barge presently came along- 
side ; and, without more ado, eight of its occu- 
pants, old men with bushy white heads, clam- 
bered upon the deck of the flag-ship. They were 
chiefs of the island ; and were followed by their 
attendants, who brought on board a variety of 
gifts for the strangers. 

Espinosa received them with great politeness, 
and offered them seats on a carpet that was 
spread upon the deck, which they accepted with 
grave and stately courtesy. Then they caused 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 227 

their attendants to spread before the Spaniards 
the good things they had brought. There were 
large wooden vessels, gorgeously painted, and 
filled with betel, the fruit they constantly chewed 
in that part of the world ; there were jars of 
arrack, a curious beverage, which the Spaniards 
found very palatable, but quite strong, and which, 
they learned, was made from rice ; .there were, 
besides, fowl and goats, sugar-cane and bananas. 
After paying a visit to the flag-ship, the chiefs 
went on board the "Victoria," whither they 
carried similar gifts, and met with an equally 
hearty welcome. It was not tong before their 
good treatment had its effect on the king of 
Borneo. He sent three barges, yet more splendid 
than that which had first appeared, full of 
chiefs and musicians, who were rowed around 
the ships, the musicians playing with all 
their, might. Espinosa ordered salutes to be 
fired, and the flags to be hoisted at the mast- 
heads. Among other articles that the natives 
brought, as gifts from their monarch, were cakes 
made of rice, honey and eggs ; all of which were 
extremely welcome to the Spaniards, who eagerly 
consumed them. 



228 MAGELLAN 

The kirg of Borneo, a day or two after, sent a 
message that the Spaniards might not only pro- 
cure such provisions as they wished on shore, 
but that they might trade freely with his sub- 
jects. 

Espinosa ordered seven of his principal men, 
one of whom was Pigafetta, to get into one 
of the barges, go to the town, and visit the 
king. These carried with them, as friendly 
offerings, a Turkish coat of green velvet, a chair 
of violet-colored velvet, some red cloth, a cap, a 
gilt goblet, a glass vase, and, oddly enough, a 
gilt pen and ink case ; and, to be given to the 
queen, a pair of slippers, and a silver case full of 
pins. Presents we're also carried for the king's 
chief courtiers ; for Espinosa rightly judged that 
it was of no small importance to gain the friend- 
ship of a potentate evidently so rich and power- 
ful. 

When the party reached the quay and disem- 
barked, they were forced to wait some time ; for 
the king had not understood that they were 
coming, and had not made his preparations to 
receive them. 

At last, however, a sight greeted their eyes 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 229 

which gave them a still higher idea of the royal 
splendor of Borneo. Two immense elephants, 
caparisoned in rich and vari-colored silk, came 
slowly tramping down to the quay. With them 
were twelve natives, all richly dressed, and bear- 
ing large porcelain vases covered with silk nap- 
kins. These vases, it appeared, were intended to 
receive the presents which the Spaniards had 
brought with them. The elephants were supplied 
with palanquins on which could be seated quite 
a number of men ; and the Spaniards clambered 
up to them on the shoulders of the natives. 

The elephants were then slowly led through 
the streets of the town, which was a far hand- 
somer and more spacious place than any the 
Spaniards had hitherto seen in the islands. As 
they went along, the people, who were of a 
higher type of men and women than those be- 
fore visited, gathered in curious crowds, and 
lined the sides of the streets. They were quiet, 
though Pigafetta saw many fierce and savage- 
looking faces among them. 

Pigafetta and his comrades were conducted to 
the house of one of the most important men, 
where, it being now nearly dark, they were invited 



23O MAGELLAN. 

to enter, and stay over-night. They found every- 
thing in the house much more elegant and com- 
fortable than in the houses at Sebu. Instead of 
coarse mats, they had soft cotton rugs to sleep 
on ; and the viands set before them were very 
pleasant and palatable. 

The next morning the elephants were again 
awaiting them at the door; and they mounted 
the palanquins, and set out for the royal palace, 
the men who bore the presents going before them. 
The palace they found to be a large and rather 
imposing edifice, the hall of which was reached 
by a broad flight of steps. On entering the hall, 
Pigafetta was amazed at its aspect of show and 
ceremony. It was hung with brilliant silks, and 
was full of the dusky courtiers in fine clothes. 
Beyond „this apartment was another, not quite 
so spacious, but raised a few feet higher, and 
reached by a short flight of steps ; it was 
very richly hung with long curtains of silk and 
brocade, and two large windows admitted the 
light. Here were stationed three hundred of the 
king's guard, with daggers drawn. Yet beyond 
this room was a third, much smaller, but more 
splendidly adorned; and here sat the king, a 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 23 1 

rather fat man, forty years old, on a great cush- 
ion, with one of his little boys. The king was 
busijy chewing the eternal betel. 

Surrounding the king was a bevy of women of 
various complexions, some almost as light as 
Europeans, others dark enough to have come 
from Africa. 

The visitors were not allowed to approach 
nearer the monarch than the first hall. There 
they were supplied with cushions, so placed that 
they could see the king in the distance. When 
they were seated they were given to understand 
that they could not themselves speak to his 
majesty ; but that, whatever they had to say to 
him, they must say to a certain chief; this chief 
would tell it to another, who would repeat it to a 
yet higher official ; who, in his turn, would deliver 
the message through a speaking-trumpet to the 
prime minister, who stood at the king's side, and 
by whom it would at last reach the royal ears. 

At the same time, the chief who gave them 
these instructions, told them they must rise, join 
their hands above their heads, raise first one and 
then the other foot, make three low bows to the 
king, and then kiss their hands to him. 



232 MAGELLAN. 

This Pigafetta and his comrades did with great 
care and punctiliousness ; being not a little 
amused to find, in this semi-barbarous and pagan 
court, quite as much ceremony as in the palaces 
of refined Europe. 

They then, in the indirect manner that has 
been described, made known to the royal host 
the message which Espinosa had sent. It was, 
that they were subjects of the king of Spain, who 
wished to establish peace and friendship with the 
king of Borneo, and for permission to trade with 
the island. The next thing was to offer the 
king the presents they had brought ; which 
were accordingly laid at his feet by some of 
his attendants. He acknowledged them by a 
slight and solemn inclination of the head ; and 
immediately after sent to the Spaniards some 
pieces of rick silk and brocade. 

They were next treated to cloves and cin- 
namon ; and while they were eating, the cur- 
tains in front of the king were drawn together, 
and he disappeared from view. Pigaffetta ob- 
served, on this occasion, that the soldiers and 
courtiers wore cloth of gold and silk, that their 
daggers had gold hilts studded with gems, and 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 233 

that their fingers were fairly covered with large 
rings. 

Deeply impressed with all that they had seen, 
the party returned to the house of the chief 
where they had lodged, mounted, as when they 
came, upon elephants. There they were once 
more entertained in the most lavish manner. 
The hospitable chief feasted them upon rice, 
chickens, and peacocks, veal, many kinds of fish, 
and the not unpleasant arrack; these things, 
too, were served to them on handsome china 
dishes. The Spaniards were obliged to eat with 
their fingers ; but the rice they ate with gold 
spoons, to find which, in Borneo, much surprised 
them. 

They remained two days in the chiefs abode ; 
and on the second night were provided not only 
with wax candles, but even with oil lamps. 
Everything they saw, indeed, astonished them at 
the evident riches and even civilization of the 
island. 

When Pigafetta reported the adventures of 
his party to the Admiral, he was more than ever 
convinced that it was important to secure the 
king's good wiH for the Spaniards. Espinbsa 



234 MAGELLAN. 

was impatient to reach the Moluccas ; but 
was so attracted by all that he had seen and 
heard in Borneo that he made up his mind to 
prolong his stay. Instead of a sojourn of two or 
three days, therefore, the ships remained an- 
chored in the harbor nearly a month. 

Espinosa himself, as well as his officers and 
men, now went freely to and fro, every day, be- 
tween the ships and the town. The king's barges 
were always ready to conduct them, and the 
houses of the chiefs were always at their disposal. 
Espinosa desired the monarch to visit the ships; 
but was told that he never stirred away from his 
palace, except when he went hunting, which he 
occasionally did with a few chosen princes and 
nobles. 

The Spaniards availed themselves of the kindly 
disposition of the people to open trade with 
them. They secured a warehouse near the quay; 
and here, as at Sebu, a brisk business soon 
sprang up. The people of Borneo, it turned out, 
knew much better the value of the articles of- 
fered for sale by the Spaniards, than those of 
Sebu ; and Espinosa's men found it necessary to 
display the best articles the ships afforded. 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 235 

Something new about Borneo and its people 
was learned every day. Espinosa estimated the 
population of the town at nearly one hundred 
thousand. A large part of it was built on piles 
driven in the water ; the houses were all of 
wood, and were reached by flights of steps. In 
front of the royal palace was a thick and high 
brick wall, with port-holes. This was intended 
as a kind of fort to protect the king. 

Espinosa soon learned that the people of Borneo 
were not idolaters, but were faithful followers of 
Mahomet ; and that they scrupulously obeyed 
the precepts of the Koran. They never ate pig's 
flesh, nor the flesh of any animal they did not 
themselves kill. The mass of the people went 
almost naked, as, indeed, the hot climate in which 
they lived made it almost necessary to do ; but 
the nobles and soldiers, as we have seen, dressed 
very gaily. 

Their money was not unlike the European. It 
consisted of bronze coins, pierced in the centre 
for stringing together ; and, as Espinosa and his 
companions were able to see for themselves, the 
natives were very skilful in making fine porcelain 
and china. Among the productions of the island 



236 MAGELLAN. 

were camphor, cinnamon, ginger, oranges, lem- 
ons, melons, cucumbers, cabbage, onions, and 
sugar-canes ; their animals were elephants, horses, 
pigs, goats, fowl, and geese. The medicine they 
thought the most effective was quick-silver, which 
they were bold enough to swallow when ill. 

The king, it appeared, was very rich. Many 
of his household utensils were of solid gold ; 
some of his plates and covers were artistically 
enamelled and chased. Some of the Spaniards, 
on going one day to the palace, were shown two 
enormous and beautiful pearls, nearly as large as 
hen's eggs. They were told that the king had 
bought these pearls from the Arabs, for a vast 
sum, and that he esteemed them his most pre- 
cious treasure. 

Early one morning, shortly before the day set 
for the departure of the ships from Borneo, 
Espinosa was awakened to hear some startling 
news. The king and people had treated him so 
kindly and generously, that he had long ceased 
to have the slightest suspicion of their good 
faith. What was his surprise and alarm, then, 
when one of his officers, entering his cabin, ex- 
claimed : 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 237 

" Rise quickly, Admiral. There is a large fleet 
of junks coming towards us, full of armed men. 
Their design is without doubt a hostile one. Un- 
less we prepare at once to resist them, we shall 
surely be overwhelmed !" 

Espinosa arose, dressed himself with all 
speed, and ran up on deck. The sight which 
greeted his eyes only confirmed the officer's re- 
port. There, in the broad bay, which sparkled 
with the reflection of the first rays of the sun, was 
a fleet of native junks, with their bamboo masts 
and bark sails, of which there could not be less than 
a hundred. They were divided into three squad- 
rons, and sailed together in close phalanx. Their 
decks were, indeed, fairly crowded with Borneo 
warriors, who presented a very formidable aspect. 
Espinosa at once made up his mind that it had 
been the intention of the king to take him by 
surprise ; and in this, if it was his purpose, he 
had quite succeeded. To resist so large and 
powerful a fleet would have been folly. With 
his handful of men, and his few cannon, Espinosa 
could not hope to make a serious impression 
upon it. He resolved to lose no time in weigh- 
ing anchor and setting sail, so as to escape if 



238 MAGELLAN. 

possible, before it was too late. Meanwhile, he 
was beside himself with anger at what he sup- 
posed to be the unparalleled perfidy of the king 
of Borneo. 

The order to weigh anchor was given, and the 
"Trinidad" and "Victoria" began to move. At 
this moment several junks, which had been lying 
just by the ships for several days, showed signs, 
as Espinosa thought' of following them. He or- 
dered them to be fired upon with the cannon. 
The balls did deadly work. Two of the junks 
foundered, and two more went aground on a 
shoal, in trying to escape the attack ; while a num- 
ber of their occupants were killed. 

Espinosa soon had reason to bitterly regret his 
haste in firing upon these junks. A smaller boat 
was seen rapidly approaching the flag-ship, show- 
ing a flag of truce. When it came up, Espinosa 
permitted a chief, who was standing up in the boat 
and eagerly waving his arms, to come on board. 

All was then explained. It seemed that it was 
not at all the object of the large fleet of junks to 
attack the Spaniards. This armament was just 
returning from a warlike expedition to the island 
of Luzon, some leagues away, where the soldiers 



ADVENTURES AT BORNEO. 239 

had been engaged in a fierce conflict with a pow- 
erful enemy of their sovereign. The chief city 
of the island had been sacked, and many prisoners 
and much booty taken. 

The Admiral made all haste to return to his 
old anchorage in the harbor, and to make all the 
reparation he could for having attacked the junks 
and killed those who were in them. The king 
was easily persuaded of the error Espinosa had 
committed, and accepted his apologies and pres- 
ents with cordial good will ; and from that time 
until the ships sailed their relations continued to 
be of the most friendly nature. The ships received 
new supplies of provisions, wood, and water ; and 
Espinosa found, on balancing his accounts, that 
the active trade with the towns-people had been 
quite profitable. 

It was autumn when the " Victoria" and the 
" Trinidad," with flags flying and cannon bellow- 
ing forth their noisy farewells, at last sailed out 
of the hospitable harbor of Borneo, and pro- 
ceeded on their way in search of the Moluccas. 



24O MAGELLAN. 




CHAPTER XVI. 

DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 

ySPINOSA had learned that, in searching 
for the Moluccas, he had sailed too far 
westward; and on leaving Borneo he 
deemed it wisest to return on the track by which 
he had come, and to pass around the island of 
Borneo by the north and east. Scarcely were the 
ships fairly out to sea, when the Admiral discov- 
ered that they were both leaky, and sadly needed 
repairs ; and he was obliged to look about for a 
convenient island to haul them over and caulk 
them. Seeing a place that seemed fit for this 
purpose, he approached it ; but, as the " Victoria" 
was nearing the shore, she struck on some shoals, 
and came near being lost. She was got off, how- 
ever, though with great difficulty. 

About the same time the " Trinidad" came 
very near being blown up, with all on board. A 



DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS 24I 

sailor was snuffing a candle, and very incautiously 
threw the lighted wick into a chest of gunpowder 
which was standing near by. Quick as a flash 
he sprang, grasped and extinguished the wick. 
In another instant, a terrible explosion must 
have occurred. 

Finally the ships found a harbor on an island 
called Cinbonbon, where the repairs might be 
made with great convenience ; and here they 
cast anchor. On examining the ships more 
narrowly, Espinosa found that they were yet 
more unseaworthy than he had at first thought. 
It was necessary to take time to put them in 
thorough order again. He therefore resolved to 
remain at Cinbonbon, as long as was necessary 
for this purpose. 

While the carpenters were busy with the ships, 
the sailors went on shore, and built little huts, 
where they could stay with more comfort than 
on ship-board. Cinbonbon, like nearly all the 
islands in the Archipelago, was very picturesque 
and fruitful. Some of the men were set to gath- 
ering wood in the forest, for the repairs on the 
ships ; and this they found no easy matter, as 
the ground was fairly covered with briars and 



242 MAGELLAN. 

thorny shrubs, and most of the men having no 
shoes, were obliged to go among them bare- 
foot. 

Some amused themselves with hunting the 
wild boars, which were plentiful and very savage 
in the island; others went crocodile shooting; 
others contented themselves with the gentle 
sport of catching fish, oysters, and turtles, with 
which to regale their comrades. These caught 
many fish, the like of which they had never be- 
fore seen ; one had a head which resembled that 
of a pig, and which had two horns. Pigafetta saw 
with astonishment the leaves of a certain kind 
of tree, which, when they fell to the ground, 
moved about as if they were living things. 
" I kept one," he said, " nine days in a box. 
When I opened it, the leaf skipped round the box. 
I believe they live upon air." The mystery of this 
is, however, easily explained. If Pigafetta had ex- 
amined his animated leaf a little more closely, 
he would have seen that its motions came from 
an insect which lived inside of it. 

While the ships were at Cinbonbon, the sailors 
captured a junk that was passing by, loaded with 
cocoanuts, which they appropriated ; allowing 



DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 243 

the natives to escape as best they could among 
the islands. 

It was more than a month before the ships 
were ready to sail for Cinbonbon. They then 
continued their voyage northward and east- 
ward, taking in Mindanao, where they had before 
tarried. On their way, as they went, the Span- 
iards captured all the junks they could lay their 
hands on, compelling them to give up their 
cargoes, which in some cases consisted of rice, 
pigs, goats, fowl, figs, sugar-canes, and palm 
wine. They passed among many islands which 
they had not before seen; and at one of these 
they obtained some cinnamon, of which they had 
long been in search, and for which they willingly 
exchanged some knives. 

At last they reached a region where there were 
more signs of thrift and commerce, where the 
natives were tall, robust, and intelligent-looking 
men, and where the vessels were larger and bet- 
ter made even than those of Borneo. Then 
Espinosa felt sure that he was approaching the 
far-famed Moluccas, or Spice Islands, which it 
was one of the main objects of Magellan to find. 
At one of the islands at which the ships stopped, 



244 MAGELLAN. 

a chief told him that he knew where the 
Moluccas were; and he proceeded to describe 
the quarter in which they lay. Espinosa lost no 
time in following the directions given by this 
chief. He now took a southeast course, and made 
as much speed as the winds and current would 
permit. 

The ships had not, however, gone far, when a 
furious tropical storm burst upon them, and for 
awhile threatened their destruction. For some 
days the Spaniards were overwhelmed with fear, 
lest they should be dashed upon the rocks of the 
islands and reefs that thickly studded the seas. 
When the tempest subsided a little they made all 
haste to seek shelter in a bay. It happened that, 
on the island where this bay was, there was a 
Malay familiar with the whole region of the 
Archipelago ; and Espinosa was not long in per- 
suading him, by means of presents, to undertake 
to pilot the ships to the Spice Islands. 

It was a mild morning, early in November, 
when Espinosa, standing on the deck of the flag- 
ship, with the Malay pilot by his side, espied in 
the dim distance four islands, lying near to- 
gether, all of which were very uneven and hilly. 



DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 245 

The Malay, as soon as he caught sight of them, 
exclaimed that they were the Moluccas. The 
Admiral delighted to hear this, at once told the 
crew, and signalled the good news to the " Vic- 
toria," which was following at the distance of 
about a half-a-mile. The wanderers had been 
more than two years on their voyage ; and were 
now to behold with their own eyes, the islands, 
the report of whose riches had dazzled all Europe. 
In their joy they fired the cannon, and made 
merry on the decks. 

Espinosa only feared one thing. He had 
heard, in Spain, that these Spice Islands, which 
promised so much to their conqueror, were well- 
nigh inaccessible to ships. They were said to 
be surrounded with dangerous shoals, and to 
be usually enveloped in dark, dismal fogs. 
The islands now stood out distinct and bold, 
however, in an atmosphere which grew clearer as 
the morning advanced ; and his anxiety ceased, 
when, on approaching the nearest, he found the 
water many fathoms deep, close up to the shore. 

In the middle of the afternoon the ships en- 
tered a wide and fine harbor, and were able to 
cast anchor in twenty fathoms of water. On 



246 MAGELLAN. 

the shore stood a town of prosperous and almost 
civilized appearance ; and along the beach, and 
the rocks that rose from the water's edge on 
either side, the natives were gathered in large 
numbers, gazing curiously at the European ves- 
sels as they lay in the roadstead. The island 
the Spaniards thus reached was one of the larger 
Moluccas, and was called Tidor. 

Early the next morning the sultan of the 
island, whose name, as the Spaniards soon learned, 
was Almansor, came out in a gorgeous barge, 
and rowed around the two ships. When the 
barge passed under the bows of the " Trinidad," 
Espinosa was able to perceive that the sultan 
was of a cream-colored complexion, with a black 
flowing beard, about forty-five years of age, well- 
built, and strikingly handsome. He wore a fine 
white tunic, the ends of the sleeves of which were 
embroidered with gold lace ; and a long skirt, or 
robe, which fell to his feet. On his head he had 
a thin silk veil, over which he wore a garland of 
flowers. His appearance was very gay and pic- 
turesque. Above him was spread a silk umbrella, 
to protect him from the sun. 

Espinosa made all haste to welcome the sul- 



DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 2^ 

tan's friendly advances. He caused a long-boat 
to be lowered, got into it, and rowed to the side 
of the barge. The sultan smiled, stretched out 
his hands, and beckoned pleasantly to the Ad- 
miral to come on board his vessel. This Espin- 
osa did willingly and with alacrity. 

He was invited to take a seat beside the mon- 
arch. On the other side sat the young prince, 
the sultan's son, who held a long gold sceptre ; 
while in front of the sultan crouched two of his 
attendants with gold ewers full of water, with 
which the sultan moistened his fingers after tak- 
ing betel, which two other attendants had ready 
for him in gold boxes. 

It appeared that the sultan was a Mohamme- 
dan, and a man of no inferior intelligence. Es- 
pinosa had taken care to have an interpreter 
with him ; and through him he now entered into 
conversation with his royal host. 

" I long ago dreamed," said the sultan, "that 
some ships were coming hither from distant . 
countries. I am an astrologer as well as a king, 
and have examined the moon to see if this was 
true ; and the moon assured me it was so. And 
now I see that the moon did not deceive me." 



248 MAGELLAN. 

" We have come to offer you the friendship of 
our great sovereign, the king of Spain," replied 
Espinosa ; " and to trade peaceably with your 
people ; and I am very grateful to you for this 
kind reception." 

" If you are true and sincere," returned the 
sultan, " you shall be welcome; and I shall re- 
ceive and return your sovereign's friendship with 
delight." 

Espinosa then invited the sultan to go on 
board the flag-ship. He consulted apart a few 
moments with several of his nobles, and then, 
turning to the Admiral, signified his willingness 
to comply with his proposal. 

As the barge drew near the " Trinidad," the 
cannon bellowed forth their hoarse welcome ; 
the flags were run up at the mast-heads ; and 
the officers and sailors, gathering at the side of 
the deck, waved their hats and loudly cheered. 
Preparations to receive the monarch were hur- 
riedly made; and when he had mounted the lad- 
der, followed by some of his attendants and by Es- 
pinosa, he was conducted to a red velvet chair, 
which had been placed in the middle of the deck. 
Espinosa then advanced, and bowing low, threw 



DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 249 

over the royal shoulders a rich yellow velvet rug. 
Each Spaniard came forward and kissed the sul- 
tan's hand, and then sat down on the deck in 
front of him. He was regaled with wine and 
cakes, and appeared highly pleased with his re- 
ception. He declared to Espinosa that he was 
now quite sure of the good faith of the strangers ; 
and as a proof of this, he gave full permission to 
them to go on shore as much as they pleased, 
and to use the houses of his subjects just as if 
they were their own. 

Not content with this concession, the sovereign 
said that, in honor of the sovereign of his guests, 
his island should no longer be called Tidor, but 
Castile. 

Before the sultan departed, Espinosa, who was 
most anxious to make sure of his good will, over- 
whelmed him with presents. He gave him the 
red velvet chair in which he had sat on the deck; 
he had a number of pieces of cloth, linen, bro- 
cade, and damask, brought, and laid at the royal 
feet ; he begged him to accept some large mir- 
rors, some glass beads, knives, scissors, combs, and 
goblets. To the young prince he was not less gen- 
erous, presenting him with a fine cap, a robe of 



250 MAGELLAN. 

silk and gold, and a handsome mirror; while he 
lavished other gifts of knives, caps, and cloths 
upon the principal men of the sultan's retinue. 

It may well be believed that the sultan and his 
people, after this, were fairly delighted with their 
visitors. As the sultan descended into his barge, 
he called out to Espinosa to bring his ships yet 
closer to the shore ; and told him that if any of 
the natives approached them at night, he might 
fire at them as much as he pleased. The depart- 
ing barge was saluted with the cannon and the 
loud acclamations of the men ; and that night 
Espinosa gave a bountiful supper to the officers 
of both ships, who made merry over their good 
fortune in rinding the Moluccas, and in being so 
well received there. 

The following days were employed much as 
the time had been when the ships were sojourn- 
ing at Borneo. The men went on shore freely, 
and were regaled very hospitably in the town, 
and by the royal court. They opened a lively 
trade with the natives, their main object being 
to fill up their cargoes with spices ; and they 
also took in an abundance of provisions of all 
kinds. The sultan grew every day more cordial 



DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 25 I 

in his professions and more hospitable in his con- 
duct ; and it was not long before he was ready to 
swear that Tidor and Tarenate, (a neighboring 
island) should be subject to the king of Spain, 
for whom he himself would " fight to the 
death," as his faithful vassal. Finding that the 
Spaniards were anxious to obtain a quantity of 
cloves, he went in person, in his barge, to one of 
the other islands, and brought back several loads 
of cloves for them. 

Espinosa might have suspected that this sud- 
den and profuse friendship could scarcely be sin- 
cere; but at first he had full faith in the sultan's 
good faith. He had not been long in Tidor, how- 
ever, before events took place that put him on 
his guard, and caused him to hasten as much as 
possible the loading of his ships. 

Some years before, it seemed, Francisco Ser- 
rano, a Portuguese voyager, and the friend of Ma- 
gellan who had first put it into his head to make 
this expedition, had found the Moluccas by sailing 
round the Cape of Good Hope, and eastward from 
India. He had won the friendship of the king 
and natives of the isle of Tarenate, near Tidor; 
and had there established a Portuguese trade 



252 MAGELLAN. 

station. The king of Tidor, who had long been 
at war with the king of Tarenate, entertained a 
violent hatred of the Portuguese ; and Espinosa 
heard that, on one occasion, when the king of 
Tidor had conquered his enemy, he had caused 
Serrano to be poisoned, and had killed all the 
Portuguese he could lay his hands on. Mean- 
while, the Portuguese trade station at Tarenate 
was still in existence, at the time Espinosa came 
to Tidor. 

One day a fleet of barges appeared at the head 
of the bay, sailing from the direction of the 
island of Tarenate ; and when they came within a 
short distance of the ships, they cast anchor, and 
sent a messenger on board the " Trinidad." From 
him Espinosa learned that the prince of Taren- 
ate, though an enemy of the king of Tidor, had 
arrived to make peace and friendship with the 
Spaniards, and desired to come on board the 
flag-ship. Espinosa replied that he could not re- 
ceive the prince without first obtaining the con- 
sent of the king of Tidor. This the king readily 
granted ; but now the prince grew suspicious, 
and moved away from the ships. Espinosa 
thereupon sent him some presents, and begged 



DISCOVERY OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 253 

that the Portuguese factor in Tarenate, Pedro de 
Lorosa, should come and visit the ships. A few 
days after Lorosa made his appearance. He 
told Epinosa that he had been in the Moluccas 
ten years, and that he had already heard of Ma- 
gellan's expedition. He surprised the Admiral, 
moreover, by declaring that the king of Portugal, 
angry that Magellan had sailed in Spanish ships, 
had sent out a fleet by way of the Cape of Good 
Hope to contest his passage ; but that this fleet 
had been compelled to turn back, on account of 
contrary winds. 

Espinosa finally persuaded Lorosa to return to 
Spain with him ; and they soon became fast 
friends. It was not long before Lorosa grew 
more confidential, and began to warn Espinosa 
against trusting too much to the sincerity of the 
king of Tidor. He related how the Portuguese 
had been assassinated, and expressed his sus- 
picions that the Spaniards should meet the same 
fate unless a strict watch were kept. 

Some things that happened about this time 
served to arouse Espinosa's fears of the king's in- 
tentions. The king wished to give a great feast 
to the officers and crews. Espinosa remembered 



254 MAGELLAN. 

that it was by giving such a feast that the per, 
fidious king of Sebu had decoyed the other cap- 
tains into his house, only to murder them with- 
out mercy; and prudently declined the invita- 
tion. He saw, too, that the Tidor chiefs took 
every chance they could get to whisper mysteri- 
ously to the prisoners he had brought with him 
from the other islands ; and guessed that this was 
for no good purpose. 

Meanwhile, the Spaniards made excursions 
among the other islands, and busied themselves 
with completing their cargoes. In these excur- 
sions they saw and heard many curious things, 
a description of which we will, reserve for another 
chapter. 



MAGELLAN. 255 




CHAPTER XVII. 

SAILING TOWARDS HOME. 

HE Spaniards found the other islands as 
beautiful and as fruitful as Tidor; and 
such was the fear with which they were 
regarded by the natives — for it was evidently 
their sense of the warlike superiority of the Span- 
iards, more than any love for them, that rendered 
these barbarians so submissive and friendly — that 
they were allowed to go freely into the houses, 
and to wander at will over the fields and through 
the forests. 

Pigafetta, the inquisitive Italian who has been 
so often mentioned, seized the opportunity to 
observe everything in these strange islands with 
a curious eye. He was especially struck with the 
spice trees and shrubs, which yielded products 
so valuable in Europe; and one of his first ex- 
cursions was to a grove of clove trees. 



256 MAGELLAN. 

These he found to grow quite high, with 
trunks as thick as a man's body ; and they only . 
grew on high land. The branches spread out at 
the middle, and narrowed to the shape of a cone 
at the top. The bark was of an olive color, and 
the leaves much like those of the laurel. The 
cloves, he found, were white when they first ap- 
peared; they gradually deepened into red, and 
when dry became dark brown. Two crops were 
gathered each year; one at Christmas, and the 
other about the middle of June. The leaves, 
bark, and even the wood of the clove tree had 
the same perfume, he noticed, that the clove 
itself had. The natives told him that the cloves 
were ripened by the mountain mists; and must 
be gathered in the nick of time, or they would 
become so hard as to be useless. 

He examined with equal curiosity the nutmeg 
trees, which reminded him of the walnut trees 
of Europe. The nutmegs, when gathered, were 
shaped like small quinces, and had a soft fur, or 
down, upon them. The outside rind was quite 
thick; beneath it was a thin, web-like covering: 
under this, a bright red bark, and within the 
bark the nut itself, as we see it in the market. 



SAILING TOWARDS HOME. 257 

The ginger shrub did not escape Pigafetta's 
quick eye. He found that this shrub shot out of 
the ground in long branches like the shoots of 
canes, and that its leaves were like those of the 
cane. The ginger itself was, of course, the frag- 
rant root of the shrub ; in order to dry it, the 
natives used lime. 

Many of the ways and customs of the people 
were interesting. It appeared that the bread they 
ate was made of the wood of a tree that some- 
what resembled the palm. They took a piece of 
the wood and extracted certain long black thorns 
they found inclosed in it ; these they pounded into 
a powder, and cooked it as we do flour. The bread 
thus made, however, did not seem to Pigafetta 
very palatable. 

The king of Tidor had no less than two hun- 
dred wives, one only of whom was acknowledged 
as his queen. The others were inferior to her in 
rank. These wives all lived in a long mansion 
outside the town, where the king visited them 
when he chose. They were most carefully 
guarded ; and if any man were found near their 
house, either at night or in the day-time, he was 
at once put to death. The king always ate alone, 



258 MAGELLAN. 

or with his queen, on a raised platform, below 
which the rest of his family were gathered. No 
one else ate until his majesty had finished. Each 
noble family was bound to provide the monarch 
with a wife. The only other person who was 
permitted to have a number of wives was a sort 
of bishop, or high priest, whose rank was next to 
the king. This holy personage had forty wives, 
and more than a hundred children. 

These islanders, like those of Mindanao, and 
others the Spaniards had already visited, regard- 
ed the pig as a sort of sacred animal; and as 
soon as the King of Tidor found that there were 
pigs on board the ships, he begged the Admiral 
that they should all be at once slaughtered, say- 
ing that he would fully make up for the loss with 
fowl and goats. Espinosa humored him, and had 
all the pigs killed, and hung up on deck, so that 
the natives could see them. Whenever a native 
espied the carcasses, he at once covered his face 
with his hands, so as not to perceive or smell 
them. 

On one of the islands, it was the custom of the 
natives to worship the first thing they saw, when 
they went out in the morning, as their god 



SAILING TOWARDS HOME. 259 

throughout the day. It was on this island, 
called Gilolo, that Pigafetta found some bamboos 
growing near the shore, " as thick as a man's 
leg," which contained in their hollow interior a 
a kind of water, which he found very excellent 
to drink. The king of the island had no less 
than five hundred children. 

The King of Tidor was much grieved when he 
found that Espinosa had begun^ to suspect his in- 
tentions ; and came almost weeping to him, to 
assure him of his good faith. Taking a Koran, 
the king put it on his head four or five times, 
then kissed it, and swore by Mohamet to be true 
to the Spanish sovereign. Espinosa was now 
convinced that he h ad wronged the king ; the 
more so, when soon after he learned that some 
of the native chiefs had tried to persuade the 
king to kill all the Spaniards, but that he had 
sternly resisted their demand. 

At last the time came to take leave of the Mo- 
luccas, and to set out on the voyage homeward. 
But just as the final preparations for departure 
had been made, and the ships had actually 
started, a serious accident happened. The " Vic- 
toria" sailed first ; the " Trinidad" was about to fol- 



26o MAGELLAN. 

low, when one of the sailors discovered that she 
was leaking very badly in the hold. In all haste 
some of the men discharged her cargo, piling it 
on the strand, at hap-hazard ; while others worked 
with desperate energy at the pumps. This con- 
tinued all day ; but the labor was a vain one. 
The water spurted into the ship as if forced in 
by a large pump ; and it continually gained in 
the hold. 

On hearing of this serious mishap, the king of 
Tidor at once offered the Admiral his aid. He 
brought with him five or six native divers, who, 
putting on large masks, plunged under the 
waves, and searched for some time for the place 
where the ship leaked. The divers went under with 
their hair all loose, thinking that their long locks, 
when they came near the leak, would be sucked to- 
wards it, and thus show where it was. But noth- 
ing could be discovered, and Espinosa was forced 
to abandon all hope of making his good flag-ship 
seaworthy again. 

It only remained to transfer so much of his 
cargo to the " Victoria" as the latter would safely 
hold, and leave the" Trinidad" behind. The king 
said that he had more than two hundred carpen- 



SAILING TOWARDS HOME. 26l 

ters, and that they should be set to work repair- 
ing the ship ; and that if her crew would remain at 
Tidor till she was whole, they should be cared 
for " as if they were his own children." These 
generous offers touched Espinosa's heart, and he 
finally decided to accept them. The east winds, 
favorable to a westward voyage, were now steadily 
blowing ; and it was full time for the " Victoria" 
to take advantage of them and be off. At the 
last moment, Espinosa resolved to remain at 
Tidor, and to share the fate of the faithful crew 
of the ship he had so long commanded. With 
him staid fifty-three men. Meanwhile he confi- 
ded the command of the returning " Victoria" to 
his vbrave lieutenant, Juan Elcano, who, with a 
crew of forty-seven Europeans, and thirteen 
Malay prisoners who had been captured in the 
boats, at once made ready to set sail for the 
Cape of Good Hope. 

On Saturday, the 2ist of December, 1520, the 
king of Tidor visited the Spaniards for the last 
time. He brought on board the "Victoria" two 
Malay pilots, whom he offered to Elcano to con- 
duct the ship safely beyond the islands, and into 
the Indian Ocean. He embraced the captain, 



262 MAGELLAN. 

with many protestations of friendship ; and as he 
bade adieu to him, he shed many tears. 

The "Victoria" set sail about mid-day. Es- 
pinosa and his companions, who were to remain 
until the " Trinidad" was repaired, and was ready 
to follow her sister-ship, accompanied the " Vic- 
toria" some distance beyond the bay, in their 
long-boats. The king also, with several barges, 
proceeded for many miles side by side with the 
departing ship. As the " Victoria" finally emerged 
from the bay where she had met with a hospi- 
tality so bounteous and evidently sincere, her 
guns boomed a parting salute to the dis- 
abled "Trinidad," and from the decks of the 
latter an echoing "God-speed" was given by the 
mouths of the cannon to the vessel homeward- 
bound. 

The "Victoria," guided by the faithful pilots 
provided by the king of Tidor, sailed southwest- 
ward from that island, and so3n the Moluccas 
were lost to view. The voyagers were still, how- 
ever, in the midst of the Archipelago, with its 
innumerable shoals of isles; and day after day 
they progressed across a sea teeming with beauti- 
fully green and fertile spots, and among oriental 



SAILING TOWARDS HOME. 263 

races strangely differing from each other in features 
and customs. 

Elcano was eager to get back to Spain, and to 
at last accomplish the tour of the whole world. 
On the other hand, he desired to carry back to 
his sovereign as complete an account of the Archi- 
pelago as possible. As he sailed in the direction 
of the Indian Ocean, therefore, he made it a 
point to stop here and there at the islands, where 
it was evident that he would meet with a friendly 
reception, and to observe their people and pro- 
ductions. 

He was continually surprised by the natural 
richness and beauty of the islands he passed, and 
in the bays of which he anchored. Everywhere 
there was the greatest abundance of tropical 
fruits, and especially of spices. He found that 
the inhabitants of many of these islands were 
cannibals, who did not hesitate to feast on the 
prisoners they captured in their numerous wars ; 
others were Mohammedans, and betrayed many 
indications of being quite civilized and intelligent. 
On one island, he found the coast peopled by 
one race, followers of the Prophet, and the 
interior by a totally different race, who were 



264 MAGELLAN. 

ferocious, savage, and inveterate man-eaters. 

While the " Victoria" was proceeding south- 
ward, she encountered, between Buru and Solor, 
two of the larger islands, one of those sudden, 
tremendous tornadoes, or wind storms, which often 
burst unexpectedly, almost out of a clear sky, in 
the tropics. For two days destruction seemed 
inevitable. At one moment the good ship was 
on the very point of dashing her ribs to splinters 
on the rocks of an island ; at another, she threat- 
ened to founder in a terrific whirlpool. There 
were times when the desperate crew were all 
ready to give up, and cease longer to resist the 
overpowering fury of the elements. But Elcano 
refused to give way to despair. He shared the 
labors of his men, and by his example made them 
ashamed of their faltering ; and as soon as the 
tempest subsided a little, he succeeded in bring- 
ing the "Victoria" into the shelter of an island 
bay. 

Landing on the beach, the Spaniards soon 
found themselves surrounded by the fiercest and 
most savage-looking people they had yet seen. 
One of the strangest things was, that while the 
men stood aloof, in staring groups, the women 



SAILING TOWARDS HOME. 26$ 

advanced boldly and threateningly towards the 
strangers, and drew their bows, as if about to 
shoot a volley of arrows among them. Elcano 
sent one of his Malay pilots to them with some 
presents, however, and soon succeeded in pacify^ 
ing them. 

These people wore their shaggy hair in a very 
peculiar fashion. The thick and tangled locks 
were raised high above the head, held there by 
long combs made of cine; somewhat after the 
manner of the grand ladies of France and Eng- 
land a century ago. The men, moreover, wrapped 
their beards up in leaves in a very curious way, 
or enclosed them in the tubes of reeds. They 
went almost entirely naked; and Elcano shud- 
dered when some of the chiefs, thinking to per- 
form an act of hospitality, invited him and his 
companions to a feast composed of some of their 
dead enemies. 

The " Victoria" remained a fortnight at this 
island, which was called Mallua, during w r hich 
time her sides, worn by the storm, were carefully 
caulked. Meanwhile her cargo was increased by 
the wax, pepper, cocoanuts, and fowl which the 
island produced in great abundance. 



266 MAGELLAN. 

She next passed a little island, the people of 
which were of such low stature that the Spaniards 
were fain to call them dwarfs. They had, more- 
over, very long ears ; their voices were very shrill 
and squeaky; they shaved their, faces closely, 
and had their dwellings underground, in rude 
caves. Their only food was fish, and the pith of 
a certain tree. 

A few days after, the provisions of the ship 
having become well-nigh exhausted, and the 
natives of the islands in that vicinity not prov- 
ing friendly, Elcano resolved to obtain supplies 
by a trick. A few Spaniards landed on the 
shore of a large island called Timor, and sent 
word to the chief of the nearest village that 
they wished to speak with him. He came to 
them very timidly ; but on their attempting to 
make a bargain with him for some pigs and goate, 
he became bolder, and demanded a high price for 
them. Whereupon the Spaniards seized him, 
hurried him into their boat, and rowed away 
with him to the ship. They threatened him 
with death unless he would send to his village an 
order to return some pigs and goats, as his ran- 
som. The poor chief was frightened almost out 



SAILING TOWARDS HOME. 267 

of his wits, and made all haste to obey his 
captors. In due time the pigs and goats ar- 
rived, and the chief was sent home^ rejoicing, with 
some cloths, hatchets, scissors, and looking- 
glasses which Elcano thought it right to give 
him. 

The voyagers had now reached the east- 
ern end of that extensive series of islands, 
lying almost in a straight line from east to 
west, which ends in the long island of Java, 
and northwest of Java, Sumatra. But now 
the " Victoria" was supplied with as many 
provisions as she could hold ; though worn 
with so long a voyage, she was still weather- 
tight and water-tight; and there seemed no 
reason to land at any more of the islands in 
the Archipelago. 

Elcano therefore kept his course southward of 
Java, the long line of its hilly coast appearing 
dimly for many days on the north of him. He 
skirted also the coast of Sumatra, and at last 
found himself fairly launched on the Indian 
Ocean. He then kept his direction southwesterly, 
passing many leagues to the southward of Ceylon, 
and made as straight a course as possible to the 



268 MAGELLAN. 

Cape of Good Hope. It was December when 
he left Timor, his last stopping-place in the 
Eastern seas^ his eyes did not greet the 
Cape of Good Hope until late in the following 
May. 



MAGELLAN. 269 




CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE " VICTORIA" REACHES SPAIN. 

HE voyage of the " Victoria" across the 
vast Indian Ocean, though long, was a pros- 
perous one. The tracfe-winds blew from 
the east, nor did many perilous storms compel the 
crew to desperate exertion. No stirring incident 
attended their passage. One day was like the 
rest ; stiff breezes swelled the sails ; the sun shone, 
most often, bright over-head ; the waters, crested 
with foam by the winds, sparkled beneath its 
rays. 

But on reaching the vicinity of the Cape of 
Good Hope, the wind suddenly changed. It now 
blew directly against them, and it was with diffi- 
culty that the " Victoria" could advance, even so 
slowly, along the African coast that was now con- 
stantly in sight. 

Happily, Elcano had now reached a region 



2/0 MAGELLAN. 

which had become well known. His charts, and 
the records of previous voyagers, told him very 
nearly where he was, and what course it was 
wisest to take to reach his destination. He was 
now, indeed, in the very track which, nearly a 
quarter of a century before, Vasco da Gama had 
traversed for the first time in his memorable voy- 
age to India, 

So unfavorable had now become the weather, 
that the sailors began to clamor to put in at 
some African port ; and when they came oppo- 
site the large town of Mozambique, which they 
knew to have been settled by the Portuguese, 
their demands to seek shelter in its harbor be- 
came very eager. But Elcano had a good reason 
for resisting the importunities of his men. Ma- 
gellan's expedition had been undertaken against 
the bitter opposition of the Portuguese ; one of 
its objects was to secure for Spain the allegiance 
of the Moluccas, which the Portuguese claimed 
as a part of the world which had been conceded 
to them as a consequence of their discoveries. If 
he should put in at a Portuguese station, he 
might reasonably expect that he and his crew 
would be taken prisoners, and the " Victoria" 



THE VICTORIA REACHES SPAIN. 2/1 

seized and confiscated. He resolved, therefore, 
to push steadily on to the Cape. 

The trials and hardships of the crew were now 
very serious. The good ship, after so much voy- 
aging, had again become leaky, and the men 
with difficulty kept her from rilling, by constant 
work at the pumps. Their provisions were low, 
and they were reduced to small daily rations of 
rice and water; their meat having decayed for 
want of salt. Many of the men, moreover, fell 
sick, and some died. At last the Cape came in 
sight ; but it was dangerous to attempt to round 
it. For some weeks the " Victoria" was tossed 
about off the coast, vainly seeking a favorable 
opportunity to double the cape. They were finally 
forced to make a circuit, at a distance of fifteen 
miles from the headlands, in order to reach the 
western shore of the continent. 

The ship's course was thence northwestward. 
Elcano determined to keep at sea, at least until 
the Cape Verde Islands were reached ; and 
the voyage from the Cape to these islands 
lasted about two months. The weather was 
again propitious ; but the sickness on board in- 
creased, and before the " Victoria" came in sight 



272 MAGELLAN. 

of the Cape Verdes, twenty-one men had perished. 

One day the Cape Verdes appeared, dotting 
the summer sea in the distant horizon. Elcano 
for a while hesitated whether he should touchat 
them or not. They were possessions, like Mo- 
zambique, of the Portuguese. Would it be safe 
to trust himself in their hands? The misery of 
his crew, however, their sickness and want of 
food, finally decided him to run the risk. 

As the " Victoria" approached Santiago, the 
southernmost of the group, it occurred to Elcano 
that he would tell the Portuguese that he had 
come from America, and that he had been driven 
out of his course by a terrible tempest. They 
would not then suspect that he had really been 
among the disputed islands of the East, but would 
be persuaded that he had sailed from Spanish set- 
tlements. This artful story at first had its intended 
effect. The " Victoria" entered the harbor, and 
was well received. Her sick were taken on shore 
and tended ; and a boat-load of rice was sent 
on board. But soon it appeared that the Portu- 
guese began to suspect the truth, that the, 
"Victoria" had really come around the Cape. 
The second boat that went ashore was detained 



THE VICTORIA' REACHES SPAIN. 2J1 

and the thirteen men in her were seized ; at the 
same time, the Portuguese ships in the harbor 
were evidently being armed, with the purpose, 
no doubt, of capturing the "Victoria." 

Elcano, who had been carefully on the watch, 
no sooner saw these signs of hostility, than, leaving 
the thirteen prisoners to their fate, he made 
haste to sail away. The voyage to Spain was 
now happily a short and comparatively easy one. 
He succeeded in escaping from the Portuguese 
ships, -which, when they saw him departing, fol- 
lowed him for some leagues. 

It was on the 6th day of September, 1522, a 
few days less than three years after she had set 
out, with her sister-ships, on her memorable 
voyage, that the weather-beaten " Victoria" came 
in sight of the familiar shores of Spain. The 
sailors — of whom there were only eighteen ex- 
hausted and half-famished men left of the gal- 
lant company that had set out — were full of joy 
at beholding their native land once more. They 
fired their cannon, and hung out their flags, and 
tearfully embraced each other; and as the ships 
drew nearer and nearer the port of San Lucar, 
the very port from which they had sailed, they 



274 MAGELLAN. 

eagerly pointed out the well-known landmarks 
to each other. 

On entering the bay, they were greeted by the 
ships and boats anchored in it ; and presently 
some of their countrymen came on board. When 
these learned that the vessel was the "Victoria," 
and that she had completed the circuit of the 
globe, they could scarcely believe their ears. 

"Why," they exclaimed, "you were given up 
for lost, long, long ago ! Surely, your return is a 
wonderful miracle !" 

The news of the arrival of one of Magellan's 
ships was soon noised through the town, and 
was quickly carried up the river to Seville. The 
next day she was fairly surrounded by boats, 
and her deck was crowded with curious and de- 
lighted visitors. The governor of the district 
came on board, embraced Elcano, and gave 
orders that the sailors, who were half-dead from 
sickness, hunger, and their many hardships, should 
be taken on shore and tenderly cared for. 

But no sooner had they set foot on land, than 
the poor fellows, staggering from weakness, 
formed into line, and walked as well as they 
could to a church ; where, kneeling before the 



THE VICTORIA REAGHES SPAIN. 275 

altar, they offered up a thanksgiving for their safe 
arrival home. Then they allowed themselves to 
be carried to the houses of the people and treated 
to the best the town afforded. 

The day following, the men returned to the 
" Victoria," and she sailed up the river to Seville, 
and cast anchor near the mole, on the very spot 
whence she had set sail. The old city was full 
of excitement and commotion at her arrival. 
Crowds thronged the quay, and the mayor and 
other dignitaries hastened to give public welcome 
to the heroic voyagers. 

Once more the cannon of the " Victoria" awoke 
the echoes with their hoarse voices of joy. The 
brave bunting was flung to the breeze, and gay 
garlands decked mast and gunwale. Here, as at 
San Lucar, the wanderers' first thought was to 
render thanks to God for their preservation from 
countless perils. The people of Seville, in dense 
masses along the pavements, and choking every 
window, saw the sunburnt mariners pass in pro- 
cession, in their shirt-sleeves, bare-footed, and 
each bearing a taper, to the ancient and impos- 
ing church of Santa Maria del Antigua, where 
they attended mass, and joined with all their 



2?6 MAGELLAN. 

souls in the thanksgiving prayers offered up by 
the priests. 

Thence they hastened to the public square, 
where, you may well believe, they were soon 
wrapt in the embraces of parents, wives, children, 
and friends. The tender-hearted Sevillians could 
not witness, without tearful emotion, the hag- 
gard and hungry features, the emaciated forms, 
and the tottering steps of the men who had gone 
out from their midst three years before, ruddy 
and stout and strong; nor was it less pitiful to 
see the anguish and hear the cries of the poor 
widows who sought in vain, in the little group, 
for husbands who had departed in the ships, but 
whom they would never look upon again. 

Into the square came a lady, young and fair, 
leading a little girl two or three years old. She 
leaned on the arm of a grizzled, but still erect and 
haughty cavalier. She was attired in deep black, 
and there were traces of long mourning on her 
pale cheeks; and now, as she slowly approached 
the returned crew, she could not suppress her 
profound emotions. 

As if by instinct, the sailors knew at once that 
she was the lady Beatrix, the widow of their be- 



THE VICTORIA REACHES SPAIN. 277 

loved Admiral, whose brave soul had departed 
from earth in the far eastern seas ; that the little 
girl was Magellan's daughter, whom he had never 
seen ; and that the old cavalier who escorted 
Beatrix was her father, Don Diego Barbosa. 

One of the voyagers darted forward and 
clasped Don Diego, and then Beatrix, to his 
heart. It was Edward Barbosa, rejoiced to behold 
his father and sister once more. 

Throughout Spain, and, indeed, Europe, the 
news of the arrival of the "Victoria" and her 
successful voyage round the world, spread rapidly, 
and caused a great commotion. The king, who, 
soon after the departure of Magellan's expedi- 
tion, had become emperor of Germany, and who, 
at twenty-two, had shown himself one of the 
ablest and most energetic monarchs in Christen- 
dom, no sooner heard that the " Victoria" was 
safe at Seville, than he dispatched a courier to 
that city, inviting Elcano and all his comrades 
to go and visit him at his court in Valladolid. 

As soon as they could get ready, therefore, the 
voyagers proceeded to Valladolid, where the 
Emperor Charles received them with a splendid 
welcome, in the midst of his grandees and cour- 



278 MAGELLAN. 

tiers. Elcano told his sovereign the story of their 
adventures, to which Charles listened with breath- 
less interest ; and when the tale was done, th e em- 
peror ordered apartments to be prepared for the 
sailors in the town, while he entertained the of- 
ficers in the palace itself. 

Not content with this hospitality, Charles gave 
a handsome pension to each of the survivors 
of this memorable expedition ; and granted 
to their gallant captain, Elcano, a coat-of-arms, 
which displayed on its shield some gold nutmegs 
and cloves, and an image of the globe, with the 
motto upon it, "You were the first to circum- 



navigate me. 



One strange thing happened when the " Vic- 
toria" arrived at Seville, which at first puzzled 
Elcano very much. According to his reckonings, 
which he had carefully kept every day from the 
starting of the expedition, the date of his arrival 
was the 5th of September. But on talking with 
the people at Seville, he found that, with them, 
it was the 6th. During the voyage, therefore, 
he had lost a day. How could this have hap- 
pened ? He knew that he had kept his calendar 
correctly, and had never omitted to score each 



THE ^VICTORIA" REACHES SPAIN. 2JQ 

twenty- four hours; and yet, undoubtedly, it was 
the 6th, and not the 5th, on which he had reached 
Seville. 

The emperor submitted this problem to a fam- 
ous astronomer, Contarini ; who, after studying 
it, discovered the clue. He showed that the loss 
of a day was the natural result of the voyage 
from east to west, in which they kept company 
with the sun ; and that, if they had gone the 
other way, from west to east, they would have 
gained a day. This was one of the most valuable 
facts ascertained by Magellan's expedition. 

The fate of the "Trinidad," which had been 
left behind at Tidor, remains to be told. In due 
time, with the aid of the native carpenters, she 
was repaired and made ready to resume her voy- 
age. But Espinosa, fearing lest the Portuguese 
in India, who had now heard of the presence of 
the Spaniards in the Moluccas, should attack 
him, resolved to sail, not westward, in the track 
of the "Victoria," but eastward across the Pacific 
again, in the hope of reaching the Spanish set- 
tlement of Panama. 

The voyage was a terrible one. Furious storms 
constantly assailed the devoted ship ; and after 



280 MAGELLAN. 

being tossed many weeks amid them, the " Trini- 
dad" was forced to return to the Moluccas. Un- 
fortunately the Portuguese had now reached 
those islands with a large force of men ; and no 
sooner had the storm-beaten " Trinidad" put into 
port, than she was attacked and overwhelmed by 
Portuguese vessels of war. Espinosa and all his 
comrades were taken, and cast into prison. There 
they were treated with such barbaric cruelty, 
and were seized with such severe distempers, 
that one after another died, including Espinosa 
himself ; until at last only four miserable crea- 
tures, out of all that gallant crew, were left. The 
Portuguese took pity on these, and shipped them 
home, four years after the return of the " Vic- 
toria," in one of their own ships. 

Thus was completed the famous expedition by 
which the route to Asia around South America, 
was found ; which first traversed the broad ex- 
panse of the Pacific, that received its name from 
the intrepid commander; which made the first 
tour of the entire globe, and brought to light the 
fact of the loss of a day by sailing with the sun, 
from east to west. 

Its fame is most of all due to the heroic and 



THE "VICTORIA" REACHES SPAIN. 28l 

noble-hearted Fernan Magellan, who conceived 
the great idea which it fulfilled ; who, in spite of 
enormous obstacles, and after having been re- 
jected by his own country, succeeded in raising 
the fleet and obtaining its command ; who con- 
ducted it through many perils over the greater 
part of its long course ; and who, though he un- 
happily died too soon to reap the full reward of 
his achievements, at least left a name and fame 
imperishable in the annals of discovery. 



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The great success, which in two months reached a sale of 125,000 Copies 
and is still in active demand. 
THAT WIFE OF MINE. 

A companion volume to " That Husband," by the same author, just pub- 
lished, is equally attractive ; requiring 50,000 Copies to fill orders received 
before its publication. 
THEY ALL DO IT. 

The Danbury News Man's new book, and decidedly his best. "Ripe in 
humorous wisdom and profitable fun." 40.000 Copies sold in three 
weeks, proves THEY ALL LIKE IT. 
SOMETHING BETTER 

Is the title of the next volume, and a story of deep interest, though in a dif- 
ferent vein from the preceding stories of the series. It will be sure to 
please; all the volumes of "The Sparkling Series" being selected with 
that purpose. 
A PAPER CITY. 

By D. R. Locke (Rev. Petroleum V. Nasby). Is one of the best efforts of 
this renowned humorist, satirist, and character delineator. (In press.) 
ANOTHER MAN'S WIFE 

Will follow, and will no doubt prove as sociable as the preceding members of 
the matrimonial ring. So look out for " Another Man's Wife," which is 
a very humorous story. 

OUR LUCKY SERIES. 

Comprising bright and sparkling stories for Young People, by the best 

authors, is designed to give the younger members of the family what 

, " Our Sparkling Series " gives the older ones, — The Best at the 

lowest price. Paper, 50 cents ; Cloth, Illust., #1.00 per volume. 
JUST HIS LUCK. 

The initial volume is by a famous writer for the young, whose name is with- 
held for " Luck." It is a capital story, full of adventure, and with an 
excellent moral. 
BOUND IN HONOR 

Is by that popular writer, J. T. Trowbridge, and he has written nothing bet- 
ter. It is full of life and humor, and excellent teachings. 
HIS OWN MASTER 

Is also by J. T. Trowbridge. The publishers have secured these two enter- 
taining stories for " Our Lucky Series," and consider themselves " lucky " 
in being able to present the very best of this author's writings. 
THE SILVER-SEEKERS ; or, Hal and Ned in Sonora. 

By Samuel Woodworth Cozzens. The author of "The Young Trail- 
Hunters," and "Among the Quicksands," has the reputation of being a 
capital story-teller ; and his long life among the red men of the West, and 
his adventures in hunting and trapping, give him an inexhaustible fund 
from which to draw tales of thrilling adventure and wonderful daring 
This story is his best. 
63T* A 11 the books in this series will be by the best authors, of interest to both 
old and young, and, though never "preachy" designed to inculcate both good 
morals and manners. Liberal discount to the trade for quayitities. 

LEE & SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS, BOSTON. 



LEE 8c SHEPARD'S NEW BOOKS. 



PRACTICAL TALKS. 



EVERYBODY WANTS 

THE TELEPHONE. 

An account of the Phenomena of Electricity, Magnetism, and Sound, as involved in its 

action ; with directions for making a Speaking Telephone. By Prof. A. E. Dol- 

bear, of Tufts College. i6mo, illustrated. 75 cents. 

" An interesting little book upon this most fascinating subject, which is treated in a 

very clear and methodical way. First, we have a thorough review of the discoveries 

in electricity, then of magnetism, then of those in the study of sound — pitch, velocity, 

timbre, tone, resonance, sympathetic vibrations, &c. From these the telephone is 

reached, and by them in a measure explained." — Hartford Courant. 

THE ART OF PROJECTING. 

A manual of Experimentation, Physics, Chemistry, and Natural History, with the 

Porte-Lumiere and Magic Lantern. By Prof. A. E. Dolbear. i2mo, cloth, 

illustrated. Price, $1.50. 

" This book supplies a place no former treatise has filled. For several years we 

have made frequent use of the oxyhydrogen light and porte-lumiere for class-room 

illustration, but we find here many things we had never thought of before. The book 

abounds in descriptions of practical and easily tried experiments, any ingenious teacher 

can easily try with little expense. It is not an addition to the existing number ot 

scientific treatises, but an exceedingly useful help to all, alike valuable for the beginner 

and college professor." — National Teachers' Monthly. 

PRIMER OF DESIGN. 

By Charles A. Barry, late Supervisor of Drawing, Boston Public Schools. 75 
illustrations. Net, 75 cents. By mail, 90 cents. 

" The primary aim of this beautifully illustrated primer is to give aid to drawing- 
teachers. The principles are illustrated in a way to make them intelligible and useful 
to every one teaching design." — New-England Journal of Education. 

" Mr. Barry is an artist of eminent ability, excelling especially as a draughtsman; 
and his experience as a teacher is made available in presenting with force, precision, 
and clearness, the principles and laws which he undertakes to inculcate. As a text- 
book it will prove very serviceable, and we should be very glad to see its value recog- 
nized in our public schools." — Epitome of Literature, Philadelphia. 

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN. 

For the use of Teachers and Parents. By Dr. William Rimmer, Boston Art School 
(Museum of Fine Arts). 48 full-page illustrations. Cloth. Net, $2.00. By 
mail, $2.25. 
Dr. Rimmer's manual exemplifies a method of teaching drawing founded on the idea 
<hat it does not signify merely an imitation of forms, but that it aims mainly to repro- 
duce expression. It is a bold and attractive Drawing-Guide, which, taking the human 
form as a model, gradually unfolds from the simplest lines to the full anatomical sub- 
ject, the elements of figure-drawing, in all their variety of limb, feature, muscle, and 
form, rendering easy of comprehension every intervening step. It is a work invalua- 
ble to the student and the artist. 



« Sold by all Booksellers, a?id sent by mail on receipt of price. 

LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers Boston. 

C. T. DILLINGHAM New York. 



LEE 8c SHEPARD'S NEW BOOKS. 



THE BEST OF GOOD READING. 



THE FALL OF DAMASCUS. 

By William Wells Russell. i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 

" In vigor of style, in freshness of thought, and in dramatic power, superior to any 
American novel recently issued from the press." — Halifax (Va.) Record. 

" The author is new to us, but he has written a powerful fiction. The subject, the 
period, the characters, the love story sandwiched in, all conspire to make the feat diffi- 
cult of success. And yet the fiction is a grand success." — Providence Press. 

BLUFFTON. 

By Rev. M. J. Savage (Church of the Unity, Boston). i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 
" This novel is not a novel. It is really a controversial theologic discussion from 
the liberal standpoint, cast in the form of a novel. Yet it has a natural plot, and it 
tells an interesting story. It is written with great clearness and vigor, and is one of 
the most interesting books recently published. Its characters are only sketched; but 
they are sketched with a clear, free, and bold hand." — Detroit Tribune. 

ROTHMEIL. 

By the author of " Mr. Peter Crewitt," " That Husband of Mine," '*That Wife of 
Mine," &c. i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 
" A work of very great merit and interest, and reminds us somewhat of some of 
Mrs. Burnett's best productions — ' That Lass o'Lowne's,' for example. The story, a 
touching one in itself, is most feelingly told, and while not in any manner overdrawn, 
it possesses all the elements of the highest order of romance, which is the romance of 
real life." — Bancroft Messenger, San Francisco. 

SEOUL. 

i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 

" A strange and wonderful work of imagination." — Indianapolis Tribune. 

" One of the most singular works ever written, being neither history nor theology, 
but a story founded in strict concordance with the sacred writings of the Hebrews 
and traditions of other nations. A work of which any one might feel proud." — Sche- 
nectady Union. 

NOBODY'S HUSBAND. 

i6mo. Cloth, $1.00. Paper, 50 cents. 
" Of a somewhat different kind is Nobody's Husband. It describes the adventures 
on railroad and steamboat of a bachelor gentleman and his friend's wife, a young lady 
accustomed to enjoy her own way, a baby, a dog, and an Irish servant-girl. The book 
is full of the author's peculiar humor, and the haps and mishaps of the party are 
sketched with some force." — Toronto Monthly. 

A YEAR WORTH LIVING. 

By Rev. W. M. Baker. Author of "The New Timothy," "Mose Evans," &c. 
i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 
" Really a novel of merit. The characters are distinctly and artistically drawn. 
They become people to us fully as much as do Dickens's characters, and still are not so 
exaggerated. The descriptions of scenery are fine. The Scourge of the South, the 
yellow fever, is depicted in all its horror; we know the autnor is acquainted with it. 
Take it through and through, and it is one of the most enjoyable books we have read 
lately." — Indianapolis Tribune. 



Sold everywhere, and sent by mail, postpaid, on f ,eceipt of price. 

LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers Boston. 

C. T. DILLINGHAM New York. 



LEE & SHEPARD'S NEW BOOKS. 



LIVE BOOKS FOR LIVE BOYS. 



DONALD'S SCHOOL DAYS. 

By Gen. O. O. Howard, U.S A. i6mo, cloth, illustrated. $1.25. 
" One of the nicest of the stories for youths which has appeared this season is 
' Donald's School Days,' by Gen. O. O. Howard, U.S.A. We should hardly have ex- 
pected from the gray, one-armed warrior, who commanded an army corps at Chancel, 
lorsville, Gettysburg, and under Sherman before Atlanta, a story of American country 
life which will.compare not unfavorably with ' Tom Brown's School Days.'" — Wash- 
ington Herald. 

LIVE BOYS; 

Or, Charley and Nasho in Texas. i6mo, cloth, illustrated. $1.00. 
" The scene of the story is mostly laid in Texas, and with its hunting adventures and 
descriptions of a herder's life, showing how the great herds of cattle are driven across 
the prairies to the Northern markets, it is a very interesting book for young people. 
The two boys who are the heroes of the tale, desirous of visiting the Centennial, man- 
age by trapping, hunting, and herding, to secure the necessary means; and the pluck 
and perseverance shown by them is characteristic of frontier life, where every one has 
to depend on his own abilities." — New-England Farmer. 

IKE PARTINGTON; 

Or, The Adventures of a Human Boy and His Friends. By B. P. Shillaber 
(Mrs. Partington). i6mo. cloth, illustrated. $1.25. 
" Were there a civilized nation on the face of the earth whose people have not heard 
of our Mother Partington's son ' Ike,' or even did we for a moment suppose there 
existed a solitary individual from Maine to the Gulf, or the Atlantic to the Pacific, 
ignorant of ' Ike's ' existence, we might feel inclined to say something in behalf of this 
book. With a world-wide fame, however, it is needless. His name is the synonyme 
for fun, the world over; and to say that a reading of his book is the best remedy for 
general debility known, must be a sufficient indorsement to give it an immense sale." — 
A merican Monthly, Philadelphia. 

PIZARRO : 

His Adventures and Conquests. By George M. Towle. i6mo, handsomely 
illustrated. $1.00. 
" The exciting career of this great Spanish captain is familiar to all ; but previous 
authors have generally failed to clothe the story with that easy familiar style so attrac- 
tive to the young. Mr. Towle has succeeded in striking the happy medium between 
dry details and romantic exuberance in his ' Pizarro.' His story opens with a graphic 
picture of the young Pizarro's boy life; and the author carries the reader on, step by 
step, with the career of the adventurous youth, until the conquest of Peru is com- 
pleted." — New-Haven Register. 

VASCO DA GAM A: 

His Voyages and Adventures. By George M. Towle. i6mo, illustrated. 

$1.00. 
These two volumes are the pioneers of a series of " Heroes of History." 
" It will be remembered that Da Gama was in his day more famous than Columbus, 
and that he discovered the way to India around the Cape of Good Hope. His life was 
brimful of adventure, and the book will be of great interest to the young for whom it 
is especially prepared, yet not the less interesting to older people who love history, 
and the deeds of brave men when the earth was much younger than at present. It is 
illustrated and well printed." — Taunton Gazette. 



Sold by all Booksellers and Newsdealers, and sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt 
of price. 

LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers Boston. 

C. T. DILLINGHAM New York, 



LEE AND SHEPARD'S NEW BOOKS. 



THE BEST OF AMERICAN FICTION 



A PAPER CITY. 

By D. R. Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby) . i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 
"We venture to say that few new books will be read with more er joyment tfi?n this 
one. It is one of the finest bits of history and character-drawing ever issued from vhf 
press." — Indianapolis Journal. 

A WOMAN'S WORD, AND HOW SHE KEPT IT. 

By Miss Virginia F. Townsend. Author of " Only Girls," " That Queer Girl," &c 
i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 
" Miss Townsend has heretofore produced many quiet and delightful home volumes 
but in this new venture she soars far above her former work. There ii. &n intensity 
and dramatic interest in the book that never lags, and it possesses a pure element tha' 
gives it the right tone and finish." — Modern Argus, N.Y. 

HIS INHERITANCE. 

By Miss Adeline Trafton. Author of " An American Girl Abroad," " Katherin* 
Earle," &c. i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 
"Miss Trafton, the daughter of a well-known divine, has in previous books, notabJv 
4 An American Girl Abroad,' won a reputation for lively writing of the purest typd 
In this, her latest venture, she is charmingly fascinating, not only in the story itself, 
but the manner of telling it. Pathos, humor, character, stand out in every thing col 
nected with the heroes and heroines of the tale." — Providence Despatch. 

AGAMENTICUS. 

By E. P. Tenney (President of Colorado College) . Author of " Coronation." Squa' ? 
i6mo. Classic size, $1.25. 
" As a study of life and character, brimful of laughter-provoking, quaint and thought- 
awakening surprises, for dyspeptics who cannot go to Saratoga, and intellectual peopl 
getting short of ideas, we confidently commend it as the book of the season." — Chi 
cago Advance. 

AN AMERICAN CONSUL ABROAD. 

By Samuel Sampleton (Luigi Monti). 
" The sixpenny way in which our consular service is managed has made it ridiculoni. 
at home and abroad: hence the troubles which beset poor Mr. Sampleton in his attempt 
to live within his income, and at the same time maintain the dignity of the office, ar? 
not overdrawn, and the book may do a good work. It is very readable, and interwoven 
with the story is a fund of information which will interest any reader who is not fanu> 
iar with the consular service." — Taunton Gazette. 

MR. PETER CREWITT. 

By the author of " That Husband of Mine," "That Wife of Mine," " Rothmell," &", 
i6mo. Cloth, $1.00. Paper, 50 cents. 
" It is full of quaintness, abounds in humor, and is pathetic with all the rest. Our 
readers need no urging from us to procure this issue, as it is one of Lhe brightest an<f 
raciest of books of its kind ever placed before the public, and is sprightly and enter 
taining from beginning to end." — If. B. Standard. 



For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, and sent by mail, postpaid, on 
receipt of price. 

LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers Boston. 

C. T. DILLINGHAM New York. 



MISS AMANDA M. DOUGLAS'S NOVELS. 



BETWEEN FRIEND AND SWEETHEART. 

(in press.) 
" Amanda Douglas is one of the favorite authors among American novel-readers. 
She writes in a free, fresh, and natural way, and her characters are never over- 
drawn." — Manchester Mirror. 

FROM HAND TO MOUTH. 

i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
" The charm of the story is the perfectly natural and homelike air which per- 
vades it. The young ladies are not stilted and shown off in their ' company man- 
ners,' but are just jolly home-girls, such as we like to find, and can find any day. 
There is real satisfaction in reading this book, from the fact that we can so readily 
' take it home' to ourselves." — Portland Argus. 

NELLY KINNARD'S KINGDOM. 

i2mo Cloth. $1 50. 
The Hartford "Religious Herald" says, "This story is so fascinating, that 
one can hardly lay it down after taking it up." 

IN TRUST; 

OR, 

DR. BERTRAND'S HOUSEHOLD. 

i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 

Miss Douglas possesses the genuine art of telling a story naturally and well. 

She is far removed from those sensational novelists whose prurient writings are 

oftenest found in the hands of the rising generation. The present story is quite 

fascinating, with an obvious lesson running through it, which no one can mistake. 

y CLAUDIA. 

i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
" The plot is very dramatic, and the denument startling. Claudia,.the heroine, 
is one of those self-sacrificing characters which it is the glory of the female sex to 
produce." — Boston Journal. 

STEPHEN DANE. 

i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
" This is one of this author's happiest and most successful attempts at novel- 
writing, for which a grateful public will applaud her.'' — Herald. 

HOME NOOK; 

OR, 

THE CROWN OF DUTY. 

i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
* " An interesting story of home-life, not wanting in incident, and written in 
forcible and attractive style. Miss Douglas's previous novels have all been very 
popular." — New-York Graphic. 

SYDNIE ADRIANCE; 

TRYING THE WORLD. 

i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 

" The works of Miss Douglas have stood the test of popular judgment, and be- 
come the fashion. They are true, natural in delineation, pure and elevating in 
their tone." — Express, Easton, Penn. 

Sold by all Booksellers and News-dealers. 

LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 



Illustrated Books. 



"THE BREAKING WAVES DASHED HIGH." 

(The Pilgrim Fathers.) 

By Felicia Hemans. Illustrated by Miss L. B. Humphrey. 

4to. Full gilt. $1.50. 

UNIFORM WITH 

"NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE." 

By Sarah Flower Adams. "The well-beloved Sacred Poem." With full-page 
and initial illustrations. 4to. Full gilt. $1.50. 

"OH! WHY SHOULD THE SPIRIT OF MORTAL 
BE PROUD?" 

By William Knox. With full-page and initial illustrations. Uniform with 
" Nearer, my God, to Thee." Small 4to. Gilt. $1.50. 

"ABIDE WITH ME." 

By Rev. Henry Francis Lyte. With full-page and initial illustrations. Uniform 
with " Nearer, my God, to Thee." 4to. $1.50. 

ROCK OF AGES. 

By Aug. Montague Toplady. 4to. Illustrated. Full gilt. $1.50. 

THE VAGABONDS. 

By J. T. Trowbridge. With illustrations by F. O. C. Darley. 4to. Cloth. 
Full gilt. $1.50. 

BALLADS OF BEAUTY. 

Forty full-page illustrations. 4to. Cloth. $2.50. 

BALLADS OF BRAVERY. 

Forty full-page illustrations. $2.50. 

BALLADS OF HOME. 

With 40 full-page illustrations. 4to. Cloth. Full gilt. $2.50. 

GEMS OF GENIUS. 

Famous Painters and their Pictures. With 40 full-page illustrations. $3.75. 
UNIFORM WITH 

ART IN CONNECTICUT; 

OR, 

THE PIONEERS OF ART IN AMERICA. 

By H. W. French. With about 95 portraits and illustrations. $3.75. 

^SOP'S FABLES. 

Illustrated by Ernest Griset. A new edition. Upwards of 100 illustrations. 
4to. $2,50. 

LITTLE PEOPLE OF GOD, 

AND WHAT THE POETS HAVE SAID OF THEM. 

By Mrs. George L. Austin. 4to. Illustrated. $2.00. 
Sold by all Booksellers. 

LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 



Art Publications. 



Professor Charles A. Barry's New Book. 
MODEL AND OBJECT DRAWING; 

OR, 

THE REPRESENTATION OF OBJECTS 

(Particularly the Geometrical Solids used in Art-Schools) as they appear. An 
Essay prepared for Instructors in Drawing, and American Art-Students. 
4to. Numerous illustrations. Price 50 cents. 

PRIMER OF DESIGN. 

By Charles A. Barry, late Supervisor of Drawing, Boston Public Schools. 75 
illustrations. Net, 75 cents; by mail, 90 cents. 
" The primary aim of this beautifully illustrated primer is to give aid to drawing- 
teachers. The principles are illustrated in a way to make them intelligible and 
useful to every one teaching design." — New England Journal 0/ Education. 

ART AND ARTISTS IN CONNECTICUT. 

By H. W. French. Full gilt. 8vo. $3.75. 

This elegant volume comprises sketches of nearly two hundred artists whom 

Connecticut claims either by birth or adoption. The work is beautifully illustrated 

with full-page and letter-press designs, comprising portraits of artists, engravings 

of their work, and in many cases original designs, specially prepared for this book. 

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN. 

For the use of Teachers and Parents. By Dr. William Rimmer, Boston Art- 
School (Museum of Fine Arts). 48 full-page illustrations. Cloth. Net, $2.00; 
by mail, $2.25. 
Dr. Rimmer's manual exemplifies a method of teaching drawing founded on the 
idea that it does not signify merely an imitation of forms, but that it aims mainly 
to reproduce expression. It is a bold and attractive drawing-guide, which, taking 
the human form as a model, gradually unfolds, from the simplest lines to the full 
anatomical subject, the elements of figure-drawing in all their variety of limb, 
feature, muscle, and form, rendering easy of comprehension every intervening 
step. It is a work invaluable to the student and the artist. 

ART: 

ITS LAWS AND THE REASONS FOR THEM. 

Collected, Considered, and Arranged for General and Educational Purposes, by 
Samuel P. Long. i2mo. Cloth. $2.00. 
It is a very handsome book, with steel-plate illustrations; a work of decided 
merit, and a pleasant guide in the search for the good, the beatitiful, the trzie. 

THE PRINCES OF ART. 

Translated from the French by Mrs. S. R. Urbino. i2mo. Cloth. $2.00. 
It is a pleasant book, designed not for the professional or amateur only, but for 
popular enlightenment about those men who, with the Brush, the Chisel, or the 
Graver, have achieved an immortality of fame. 

Sold by all Booksellers and News-dealers, and sent by mail, post-paid, on 
receipt of price. Libraries supplied. Catalogues mailed free to any address 
on application. 

LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 



Books of Travel. 



OVER THE OCEAN; 

• OR, 

SIGHTS AND SCENES IN FOREIGN LANDS. 

By Curtis Guild, editor of " The Boston Commercial Bulletin." Crown 8vo. 
Cloth. $2.50. 
" This is certainly a collection of some of the most perfect pen-pictures of sights 
and scenes in foreign lands we have ever seen." — Albion. 

ABROAD AGAIN; 

OR, 

FRESH FORAYS IN FOREIGN FIELDS. 

Uniform with "Over the Ocean." By the same author. Crown 8vo. Cloth. $2.50. 

AN AMERICAN GIRL ABROAD. 

By Miss Adeline Trafton, author of " His Inheritance," " Katherine Earle," 

&c. i6mo. Illustrated. $1.50. 

" ' The American Girl' is a bright, good, merry-hearted girl, off for a good time; 

and her readers are of the opinion that the journey was a decided success." — 

Liberal Christian. 

BEATEN PATHS; 

OR, 

A WOMAN'S VACATION. 

By Ella W. Thompson. i6mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
" The author seems to have hit on just the most charming things to see, and 
talks of them in a charming manner." — Tribune. 

A THOUSAND MILES' WALK ACROSS SOUTH 
AMERICA, 

OVER THE PAMPAS AND THE ANDES. 

By Nathaniel H. Bishop. M i2mo. Illustrated. $1.50. 

VOYAGE OF THE PAPER CANOE. 

A Geographical Journey of Twenty-five Hundred Miles from Quebec to the Gulf 
of Mexico. By the same author. With numerous illustrations and maps 
specially prepared for this work. Crown 8vo. $2.50. 

FOUR MONTHS IN A SNEAK-BOX. 

A Boat- Voyage of Twenty-six Hundred Miles down the Ohio and Mississippi 
Rivers, and along the Gulf of Mexico. By the same author. With nu- 
merous maps and illustrations. $2.50. 

CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 

Being the Adventures of a Naturalist Bird-Hunting in the West India Islands. 
By Fred A. Ober. Crown 8vo. With maps and illustrations. 

Sold by all Booksellers. 

LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 



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